We Bind Our Lives For Peace
by NessaRoseFangirl
Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace. AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Since I am pretty sure I have read every Dragon Prince story at least twice, I decided it was time for me to write and post my own. Lots of elements from the show will be used with a few things added. Example being Xadia is divided by kingdoms as well with their own names, the Moonshadow elves land is called Lunaris and the others will be introduced as the story progresses. **

**Hope you guys enjoy my AU!**

**Summary: ****The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter One: For What Lies Ahead**

The sun's light lit up the sky with a golden haze, the birds sang without a care in the world and the clouds took on all kinds of shapes to let the children's imagination below run wild. The castle sat on top a hill with cliff's on the west side while the front entrance faced the east, the rising sun. In one of the higher rooms just below his own was Prince Callum of the kingdom of Katolis.

The young prince was seated in his private study, a gift from his step father, King Father, on his tenth birthday. Callum spent many hours in this study, whether he was working on assignments from the tutors, drawing away in his sketchbook or simply coming up here for some peace and quiet. Books were stacked along the shelves, his desk was covered in various writings and drawings, the floor however was clean.

Currently Callum was sitting at the window seat, knees drawn with his sketchbook resting there and his drawing hand flying across the page. Whenever he was feeling any type of emotion, happy, sad, angry, nervous, and it was overwhelming him, he would start drawing. Today was an important day, the beginning of the rest of his life and he had to admit he was utterly terrified of what was to come.

As a child it had been easy to pretend it was all a game, but as he grew up, he realized just how serious this matter was and what it meant for his kingdom, for the future of Katolis. If he was going to be honest, the events of today would be the start of something never done in history. Callum pressed to hard on the pencil, snapping the tip and messing up the tree's branch.

A frustrated groan escaped him, he threw the sketchbook and pencil to the ground in a moment of anger. It was unlike a prince to let his emotions get the better of him, he had to be in control of them and use them to his advantage. Allow his anger to show when the situation was right, show just enough sorrow to be sympathetic. Only in cases of the most dire of circumstances could he cry in public, that was reserved for funerals.

Callum ran his fingers through his brown hair, he was nervous about today, that in just a few hours, everything would change for him. He pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes as he struggled to steady his breathing, a knot tightening in his stomach and his chest started to burn.

The walls were closing in, he felt like he couldn't move anywhere. There was so much riding on this, so much pressure on him and the other person involved. What was he going to do? What if it all fell apart? A gasp left his dry throat, he had to get it together, he had to stop this before it could any worse, but it was so hard to focus. Why was everything all over the place? Why did it feel like he couldn't breathe?

"_Callum, you need to breathe," his mother told him, "Sweetheart, you have to breathe."_

_Callum looked up at her as he gasped out, "I feel, ah I feel so overwhelmed with everything- I- I have so many thoughts- it's- it's all jumbled and it's racing around my mind."_

"_You have to focus on the present, in the moment around you. Take a deep breath, follow my lead," she told him, her eyes warm._

It lasted for what felt like hours, but thanks to the breathing exercise his mother had taught him, he was able to quell the rush of panic that had overtaken him. When his heart rate settled and breathing returned to normal, Callum lowered his hands to look out the window at the still rising sun. Their guests would not arrive until dusk, a little before dinner, giving him the entire day to prepare for their arrival. Callum started to out all his materials away, making the room presentable and organized enough for a prince.

A gentle knock filled his ears, Callum turned to face the direction of the door and called politely, "It's open, you may come in."

The door opened to reveal his step father, King Harrow. The King was a tall man with dark skin, his hair in dreadlocks with gold rings along the ends to match the accents of his shirt and shine of his crown. Callum straightened his shoulders, he bowed slightly, one hand on his chest. It was a sign of respect and showing that he was a servant to the king.

"No, no please," King Harrow said, putting his hands in front of him to stop Callum from continuing the formal greeting.

Callum stood straight, his shoulders tense, "Okay."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," King Harrow explained, his unease plain as day on his face, something Callum mentally frowned at.

"Why, is something wrong," Callum questioned, his brow rising ever so slightly.

Harrow shook his head, "No, nothing is wrong. I only meant that today is a big day and I would understand if you were nervous or upset."

Callum blinked a few times before he replied, "I know how important this is for Katolis, for the human kingdoms and for Xadia. I'm ready for what lies ahead. They are still arriving at dusk right- correct?"

Harrow answered with a slight shake of his head, "Our guests will be arriving a short time after midday. They have made the journey much quicker than any of us had anticipated."

Callum felt the knot in his stomach return, but he kept his voice even as he said, "Well that works out in our favor. The sooner they arrive, they will be able to rest and join us in the hall for dinner."

"Yes," Harrow said, for a moment he was taken aback, but quickly covered the expression, "I suppose you are right. Callum, are you certain you are okay?"

Callum nodded, "Just fine. Now, if I may be dismissed there are some things I need to attend to before our guests arrival."

Harrow wanted to stop Callum, to talk to his son a bit more and learn if he was truly arlight with the upcoming events, but decided against. With a stiff nod, he dismissed Callum who gathered his bag and left to his devices. King Harrow rubbed his hand over his face and with a sigh, wonder how all the other ways he could have handled that.

Even though Harrow was his step father, he had always viewed Callum as his on, the step never involved or even mattered to him. Their relationship had been uneasy when Callum was younger, but it had taken a positive turn for a few years and then it became fragile. Around the time Callum turned thirteen, their relationship had fallen back to an uneasiness between them and Harrow hated it.

He didn't know how to fix it and his wife, Sarai, didn't know how to adjust it either. She had assured him that it was because Callum was a teenager now, but Harrow had not been sold on the idea. And now the day had come, the first step of many that had been planned a little more than a decade ago.

He could remember it as if it were yesterday, in the council room he stood with his advisor, Lord Viren, and his wife, Queen Sarai. Discussing the future of their kingdom, the nature of this upcoming war, the tentative peace and a decision that would dictate the rest of Callum's life along with the fate of the human kingdoms. An alliance had been formed, a truce had been called, an arrangement made, a wedding date set. A human prince would wed an elf princess.

"I just Callum, is he okay?"

Harrow turned to look at his second son, Ezran. The crown prince Ezran was ten years old with big bushy brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. Concern was clearly written on the young boy's face. Although Ezran knew a little about what was going on, he didn't know exactly how much was riding on the arrangement involving his older brother.

Callum never talked to him about it and if Ezran was able to get something out of him, it was always lighthearted and something along the lines of, "I'll just have a built in best friend" or "making a peace with the elves through me and an elf." Ezran may have been young, but he wasn't dumb and knew it was more serious than that, but to what extent had been beyond him.

"Callum is handling it remarkably well," Harrow told his son with a smile, "Your brother is incredibly strong."

Ezran smiled back at his dad, "Yeah, he is. Do you think the elves will like us? Bait's worried they won't."

Harrow chuckled when he caught sight of his son's glow toad by his feet, "Is that right Bait? Well, I can assure you that we will be great friends with our guests. They will love us."

Bait croaked at him, Ezran released a soft laugh, but it quickly faded away as he wouldn't meet his father's gaze. There was something he was worried about. He knew that when everything was said in done, when Callum and this elf princess had to seal the alliance, something big would happen. That Callum would have to leave Katolis and journey to Xadia.

"Dad," Ezran said quietly, "Is- are we going to lose Callum?"

Harrow's face showed the surprise he felt, "What? No, why would you think that Ezran?"

Ezran rubbed his arm, "I heard some of the servants talking in the kitchen. That once Callum and the elf tied a knot, then he'd have to leave and I don't want to go."

Harrow now understood where Ezran got the idea from. It was not a secret that Callum was betrothed to an elf princess, however what would happen after the wedding had not traveled to anyone other than himself, Queen Sarai, Lord Viren and their guests. When the wedding celebration was over, eight days of it, Prince Callum would have to leave Katolis with his wife on a journey through Xadia.

The details of whether or not Callum would be introduced to the kingdoms of Xadia first on this 'tour' or if his wife would be introduced to the human kingdoms first had yet to be decided on. While years of planning had gone into the arrangement to have a human royal and an elf royal wed, it had taken some time after before the decision fell to the kingdoms of Katolis and Lunaris.

So much had been laid out and so much left to be dealt with another day.

"Callum wouldn't be gone long," Harrow assured his son, he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder causing Ezran to look at him, "It would only be a month at most. He would be traveling the lands and would return to us."

Ezran nodded, he released a heavy sigh, "Well that's good. I was worried for a minute. I'm going to see if he wants a jelly tart."

"I think Callum would really like that," Harrow told him, he ruffled his son's hair before the boy took off.

Harrow smiled fondly as his son raced out of the room with his glow toad to find get jelly tarts and find his brother. Queen Sarai loved jelly tarts, she had passed on that love to Prince Ezran who could never get enough of them. It never ceased to amuse King Harrow how when the Queen and Prince Ezran were together, they would quite literally make plans to take the jelly tarts. Though Harrow didn't understand why the pair didn't just order them and have them sent up to their chambers. Apparently it wasn't as fun.

The King's smile faded after a moment as he thought of his eldest son who was likely overwhelmed with the day's upcoming events. Though he wished he could make it better, he hoped that Ezran would be able to take his mind off of it for a little while. Looking out the window, King Harrow wondered just how close the moonshadow elves were to the kingdom.

While they were more than capable of protecting themselves, King Harrow had sent his men to be an escort to them as not everyone was pleased with elves coming into their territory. It was more or less a safety net. King Harrow sighed, it would certainly be an interesting day.

* * *

"I will not ask you again."

"You hadn't even asked me the first time."

"Rayla, do not test my patience."

It was nearing midday and the journey the kingdom of Katolis had been uneventful at best, however now things had taken a less than pleasant turn. What started out as the brief disobedience of an upset child turned into a fight from some human bandits who were in for the surprise of their lives.

Runaan was confident his team would handle the humans, defeating them without taking a life or spilling any blood. The human guards from the very kingdom they were journeying to would help in the battle, but Runaan feared they would get in the way more than help, but he could not stop them. Currently, his team was holding off the bandits with ease while the human troops helped where they could, leaving Runaan to deal with his charge. Standing at his full height, he looked down at his charge with a pointed gaze.

"Get back in the carriage," Runaan commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Rayla would not cower so easily, her pale violet eyes glared at him, "I can fight, ya know I can."

He grabbed her underarm and brought his face just in front of her own, "Either you get back in the carriage on your own or I will drag you there. This is not a discussion and my patience is gone."

Her eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise before she scowled at him. She wrenched her arm away and climbed back inside the carriage, slamming the door shut behind her only for the edge of her forest green cloak to be caught in the door. She didn't bother to open the door and fix it.

Runaan released a sigh. There had never been a moment in his life he considered having a child of his own, however when Rayla had been left to him things changed. Though not his daughter by blood, he loved her with every fiber of his being, even if she did push him to his limits every other day. It amused his partner to know end, though Runaan found it aggravating.

The fight ended quickly, no one was injured, save for a few looked behind him to see Rayla had remained in the carriage with a displeased look on her face, her pale skin flushed slightly from what he could tell was anger. The rest of the carriage ride would either be in silence or with her arguing with him, Runaan hoped for silence.

"King Runaan," questioned one of his party, Meijin, "Are you and Princess Rayla alright?"

Runaan nodded, "We are fine. It is best that we do not linger here, I suspect there could be others lurking ahead. The sooner we get to Katolis, the better."

Meijin nodded and quickly informed the others while Runaan dusted off dirt that had found it's way onto his teal tunic, once they drew closer to the kingdom he and Rayla would need to change into more presentable attire, which he knew she would not appreciate in the least.

He entered the carriage moments later, sheathing his weapons as he took a seat on the red seats. The carriage was of Katolis design and the colors matched that of it's home kingdom, though Runaan would have preferred to take one his own carriages or take the journey on foot, it would have been rude to ignore the gesture.

It was custom among humans that should they be extending an invitation, they provide the means of travel as well as boarding. Besides it was meant to camouflage them a bit more. It did not take long for the carriage to start moving again, Rayla had yet to say a word or look at her guardian. Runaan thought he would have enjoyed the quiet, but as he watched his charge, he would have preferred her angry voice to her silence.

"Rayla, I understand your desire to fight," Runaan started hesitantly, "But-"

"It is not my place," Rayla said sharply, her eyes on the passing trees.

Runaan released a sigh, "At this time it is not your place."

"You say that like one day it would change," Rayla said, her tone defeated, "You an' I both know it won't ever change like you say."

"You have a responsibility and must present yourself as such for the time being," Runaan told her.

Rayla waved her hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah I know. You an' Tinker have already told me this a thousand times."

Runaan offered her a smile, "I still find it amusing that you call him that."

However Rayla would not take the bait. She knew exactly what he was doing and she would not fall for it. It was never her place to fight anymore, even though it was all she wanted to do. Truthfully she wanted to be an assassin, even trained to be one under Runaan, but she was never allowed to use her skills, even when the situation called for it.

The only time she ever had to use her skills in a real life scenario was when an assassin broke into their home, she got to fight him off for a bit before Runaan and the others arrive. Runaan fought him while Tinker practically carried her away so that she would no longer be in the fight.

Rayla knew she wasn't meant to be a princess, no one believed she was meant to be one overall. She wasn't a princess by birth or through marriage or even adoption. Being a princess of Lunaris had changed everything for Rayla, she had been a little girl, hardly three years old, when her life changed forever and the initial track of her life had been taken away.

She was not meant to be a monarch, she was meant to be a warrior, an assassin like her parents, like Runaan had been. As the youngest child to the King and Queen of Lunaris, Runaan was able to pursue other methods in Lunaris, but with the loss of his older sister and her not having an heir, he became king.

Runaan spoke again, "Rayla, I understand your frustration, possibly better than anyone."

Rayla kept her gaze away from him, "You were born a prince then an assassin. I war born an assassin, made a princess."

"You were a child, had only just started training which I continued as you grew," Runaan said exasperated, they have had this conversation many times.

Rayla nodded, "Yes, so you should know more than anyone that I am more than capable of looking after myself. I can fight."

"I know you can, but it is not your job to do so," Runaan informed her, "As a princess you are helping not only Lunaris, but all of elf and human kingdoms alike."

"I know what's at stake Runaan, I won't mess this up," Rayla replied with an undertone of something Runaan couldn't quite place.

Rayla looked at Runaan then, though her expression betrayed nothing, Runaan knew she was afraid. Moonshadow elves were the strictest of the elves when it came to how they conducted themselves and how their culture operated. Duty, honor, oaths, were three of the most important things to their way of life. However there was something else, although it was more an informal rule and it was never to show fear.

Fear allowed for enemies to see your weakness, fear turned strong men weak or some some cases weak men strong. It was not something people revealed, emotions were to be kept in check and under control. Losing control of your emotions, letting those around you see them to their full degree was frowned upon.

Rayla would never show her fear to Runaan, but she hoped he got the message that she was uncertain about all of this. There was a lot riding on this arrangement, if it went wrong, who knows the chaos that could follow. Runaan wished he could ease all of her worries, but he knew there was little he could say that would help her.

Tinker was much better at that than he was, Runaan wished he could have journeyed with them, but with the unrest in his own kingdom, he had to remain behind. He would join them in the coming weeks, which was nice. Runaan moved from his seat to sit beside her, she threw him a questioning look.

"Do you recall the game we played when you were a child where you would describe something and the other players would have to guess it," Runaan asked her, incredibly randomly as far as Rayla was concerned.

"Uh yes," Rayal said confused, "But I don't see what that has to do with anythin'."

He smiled at her with a proud look on his face, "Play a round with me, for old times sake."

Rayla shifted her body to face him with a curious look, she had no idea where he was going with this, but she would play along for a moment. If there was one thing Rayla knew about her guardian for sure was that he was not sentimental or really a nostalgic person, he preferred to remain in the moment. Why he would want to reminisce on a child's game she played with other children and Tinker was beyond her.

"Alright," Rayla said with a slight nod.

His smile remained the same, "Good. Now I see something blue."

Rayla looked around, she smirked when she said, "Let me guess the sky."

Runaan nodded, "Yes. I see something-"

"Hey, no it's my turn," Rayla said with a mock offended look.

Runaan released a light chuckle, his shoulder moved with each quick laugh, "My apologies."

Rayla glanced around, "I see somethin'... black."

Runaan frowned, he looked around and grinned when he spotted it, "The horses."

"You got it," Rayla said, "You goin' to tell me why you wanted to do this?"

Runaan answered with a smug look, "In a moment. I spy something with multiple colors."

Rayla's brow scrunched, "You'll have to be more specific Runaan, what colors?"

"Teal, white, a little bit of blue and grey-violet eyes," Runaan told her, when Rayla said nothing, he continued, "I see an elf who has grown into a strong, confident, fierce young woman. Someone who is driven, capable of many wonderful things. I see someone I could not be more proud of, I have never loved someone so much."

Rayla looked away embarrassed, "Okay, I get it, no need to be so mushy."

Runaan smirked, he jerked forward and Rayla grabbed his wrists the way she would as a child during their training exercises. Runaan has taught many pupils and enjoyed seeing them grow, always proud of them. However he never found himself wishing that they would stay young and not have to face the world and it's challenges.

Yet when Rayla became his charge, he understood why so many adults looked at their children and wished they would remain young while also being excited to see what they would do as they grow. Looking at Rayla now, he felt torn. He was so proud of her, but he wished she hadn't grown up so fast. Then he pulled her into his arms, she returned the hug after the surprise of the affection wore off.

"Are you okay," Rayla asked as he released her.

Runaan shook his head, "There will be many challenges ahead, many threats I will no longer be able to protect you from. And though I am hard on you, I do not want you to ever forget that I am here for you always."

Rayla offered him a small smile, "Good, I need to bother someone."

"Your majesties," said the carriage driver through the little front window, "We will be arriving to Katolis before the hour is up."

"Thank you," Runaan told the driver with a nod.

Rayla visibly swallowed. The sweet moment between them was over, it was now back to business and the upcoming events. Soon Rayla would meet the prince of Katolis, the one she was meant to marry. Though she and the prince had met each other as young children, she couldn't remember the meeting at all now. They did exchange letters as children, but had ceased sending them for a time as it wasn't deemed safe by their guardians.

"It's really happening," Rayla said quietly, more to herself than to Runaan.

The rest of her life, was starting now. She hoped she was ready for what lie ahead of her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay! An update! Thanks everyone for the follows, favs and reviews!**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Setting Sun and Rising Moon**

Callum dressed in his finest clothes, one of them anyway. Though his step father and half brother wore a velvet red top with golden accents, Callum would wear a royal blue top of the same make with golden accents as well. Originally he would wear the red color with them and a blue jacket over it, but given this event was centered around himself and his future wife, he decided he would wear the blue top.

As a child he had requested his be blue and neither of his parents objected to it and the tradition continued as he aged. Even though it set him apart from his step father and half brother more than usual, he didn't mind being different that much. Besides, he felt the color suited him better. He observed himself in the mirror, though he had just turned fifteen, Callum thought he still looked so young, which was not what any teenager wanted to look like. He wanted to look older, to be older even. If he was older, then he'd be better off or at least more prepared, so he hoped anyway.

"There you are Callum," said his younger brother walking into the room, he pulled out a pastry from his bag, "Jelly tart?"

Callum smiled at him, "No, but thanks Ez. You enjoy that jelly tart for me."

"If you say so," Ezran ate the tart in one bite, mouth full he asked, "Callum, are you nervous about today?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full Ez, no one can understand you," Callum told him.

Ezran swallowed the tart, "Sorry. Are you nervous about today?"

Callum glanced away from him, "I guess you could say I'm nervous to meet our guests. I'm more worried about saying anything foolish, though hopefully it gets me some laughs."

"You could tell your jokes, they always make me feel better," Ezran suggested, he lifted his glow toad up, "Bait agrees."

"I'm glad you guys think so. Now go get dressed, our guests will be here soon," Callum told his brother and glow toad.

Ezran bowed dramatically, "As you wish Prince Callum."

With a laugh, Ezran raced out of the room with Bait hopping after him. Callum adored his younger brother, he wished that he would never grow up and have to deal with any of the struggles the world had to offer. But Ezran was the crowned prince of Katolis and would one day be king when King Harrow could no longer rule or passed on. The idea of his stepfather being gone sent a chill through him, followed by the idea of Ezran having that weight on his shoulders.

He shook the thoughts away as he turned his attention back to the mirror and straightened his top. He looked at his hands in the reflection, he always wore a pair of brown fingerless gloves, but wondered if for the occasion he should remove them. Hesitantly, Callum slipped the gloves off and looked at his bare hands with a disappointed frown. Though there was a tan line, he was more worried about the scars that littered the backs of them.

Lord Viren had offered to heal his hands with magic before, but his mother refused to allow the magic near her sons. Callum wanted to go to Viren and ask him to remove the scars, but he couldn't bring himself to go against his mother's wish like that. Slipping the gloves back on, Callum checked over his appearance once more before the bell tower rolled signaling the arrival of their guests. He rushed to the window of his bedroom to see that they were pulling up to gates. His stomach dropped.

Quickly, he raced down out of his room and down to the great hall where he would greet their guests, his family behind him. Though it was custom that the King and Queen were to greet the royal guests, considering the occasion, it would be Prince Callum who would greet the king of Lunaris and present his family. Then the elf princess would introduce herself to him and the family, thanking them for allowing the visit and such.

Callum slowed his run to quick walk as he entered the throne room, he took his place to left of his mother, while his step father and half brother stood on her right. Harrow and Ezran wore the same red top with golden accents, though Harrow's has a few more accents than Ezran's. Sarai wore a red dress similar to her husband and youngest son with gold accents around her shoulders and along the skirt. The King and Queen each wore a golden crown while Ezran wore a silver one. A servant then placed a silver crown on Callum's head, he thanked the servant.

Once the crown was in place, Callum took a step in front of his family, though remaining on the left side. He would not take the center until the King and Princess of Lunaris were before them. Callum glanced at his mother who's eyes were shining with pride. She offered him a warm, reassuring smile which he returned before looking forward, his posture straight and tall.

She could remember the day it was decided that Callum would be betrothed to the elf princess, she had rioted and fought tooth and nail to stop it. Forcing her son to marry someone he didn't know for the sake of politics had infuriitated her and the only reason she had stopped fighting it was because of what Callum had told her that day. For a moment, she was pulled back into the memory. Sarai recalled her arguing with Harrow in the bed chambers, her anger coming off in waves as she hated how he could consider it, how he could be so willing to do it.

"_You can't marry my son off," Sarai had growled at him, her eyes burned with fury, "He should grow up to find the love he chooses, the way we chose each other. It's wrong Harrow."_

_Harrow held his wife's gaze, his eyes filled with sorrow at the choice he made, "Sarai, I understand why you are upset, and I don't want this for Callum. If there were another way, I would take it, but we are in war and this will bring peace between Katolis and the elves of Lunaris. It could unite all the Elf Nations and Human Kingdoms if it goes well."_

_Sarai scrunched her brow, "No, no. What about his peace? What about his happiness? How can we take away his future this way? I can't support this Harrow, I won't do it."_

_Just then their chamber doors opened to reveal the young boy in question, he fell onto the carpet just past the open doors. The doors were incredibly heavy and he was hardly five years old. _

"_Callum," said Sarai in surprise as she moved to his side, Harrow just behind her, "Are you alright?"_

_Callum pushed himself back onto his feet, "I'm okay."_

"_What are you doing here," Sarai asked as she brushed a lick of his hair out of his face. _

"_To tell you it's okay," Callum said, his eyes staring into her own, "The, the contract you, the king and Viren have. I'm okay with it."_

_Sarai looked at Harrow with a questioning gaze, "You told him about it?"_

_Harrow nodded, "It involved him. Though he may be young, Callum has a brilliant head on his shoulders."_

_Sarai looked back at her son for a moment, she shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Callum, no. I, I don't want this for you. You don't have to do this."_

"_He told me," Callum said, he looked to his right and smiled at Harrow, "Step father, told me that if I didn't want to he would find another way, no questions asked. I told him I would do it."_

_Sarai frowned at her husband then back at her son, "Callum, I, I, can't-" _

_Callum put a hand on his mom's face, an innocent smile on his face, "I can do this, I'll be a hero to Katolis and the elves. Me and the elf princess will be best friends and make things better for everyone."_

Sarai returned to the present as the trumpets sounded, signifying their guests were in the main hall. The large double doors opened to reveal a group of elves from Lunaris, also known as moon shadow elves. From the looks of it, there were three men and two women, each covered in blue markings, their stark white hair contrasting to the their darker clothes of black, navy blue and pine green. It was also not hard to see each of them was armed with blades or bow and arrows of some kind. However the attention was pulled away from them as the King and Princess stood in the door frame.

"May I present their royal majesties, King Runaan and Princess Rayla of Lunaris," introduced the Harold from his spot by the door.

King Runaan was seen first as the moon shadow elves parted to give the royal family of Katolis a view of him. He was a tall man- elf, Callum would have guessed possibly taller than King Harrow, especially with the horns. His hair was white like the others, though as he walked forward Callum could see glints of silver at the end of two looks on either side of his face and their were two marks at the center of his face, below his eyes, above his nose. Callum soaked in every detail he could, tonight he would likely sketch the King and Princess.

It was then his gaze found the princess. Her skin was paler than that of the King's and she had a blue mark under each of her eyes, her hair was white as snow and Callum could see her horns were a dark cloudy grey color. As she approached him with King Runaan, he studied her outfit closely. It had the same colors as the others, but he found her attire interesting as it was not just a simple dress like he expected.

She wore pine green pants, a dark blue almost black like tunic with green accents along the folds. Not to mention she wore a cloak that seemed to float behind her. Her steps were light, airy almost and it was almost like she was gliding along the floor instead of walking. Though Callum had only seen elves in pictures, he was certain he had never seen a more beautiful creature in all his life. Callum straightened his shoulder and took his place in front of his parents and half brother at the stop of the three stairs as the elf king and princess made their way to the spot. Callum bowed to them first for a moment the way Harrow had taught him before standing at his height.

Callum spoke with a polite smile and what he hoped was a strong, yet welcoming voice, "King Runaan, Princess Rayla. It is an honor to have you here in Katolis. My name is Prince Callum. With me today is my step father King Harrow, mother Queen Sarai and younger brother Prince Ezran. I will be your host during your stay here. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask any of us for assistance."

"Thank you for having us Prince Callum," said princess Rayla with a curtsy, her face twisted ever so slightly to show her unease and her accent seemed to be thick, "This is my guar- my father King Runaan, myself Princess Rayla as you already know."

"Of course," said Callum with a genuine smile, had it suddenly gotten really hot in here, "Uh, ahem. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I trust your travels were well."

Princess Rayla nodded her head, "Yes it was well. You have a truly beautiful kingdom."

"You're welcome- I mean, thank you for your compliment," Callum told her, he hoped his cheeks hadn't turned a different shade at his slip up.

Princess Rayla smiled at him for the first time, it was an amused look, "You are quite welcome."

And with that, the control of the conversation had shifted as King Harrow joined Callum. The king glanced at his son with a proud look upon his face, he rested a hand on his shoulder to show some reassurance. The prince released a quiet breath, relieved for the attention to shift away from himself.

"King Runaan, it is a pleasure to see you again," Harrow said as he extended his right hand to him.

King Runaan took hold of Harrow's elbow, "Likewise King Harrow. Queen Sarai, looking lovely as ever."

Queen Sarai nodded to him, her eyes flickered to Rayla, "You are both looking well. I do hope you will enjoy your stay in our kingdom."

"As do I," King Runaan replied.

Ezran stepped forward next, he moved over to Callum's side though he wasn't supposed to, but he wanted to say hi to the elf princess directly. Standing in front of Callum, he looked up at Princess Rayla with kind blue eyes. Neither King nor Queen stopped him, though they did glance at him. Ezran was still ten and had a long way to go in the manners of proper etiquette, but it was fine that it wasn't perfect now.

Callum placed his hands on Ezran's shoulders, "Princess Rayla, this is Prince Ezran."

Ezran bowed then straightened himself, "I haven't seen many elves before, but I think you would be the most beautiful one. Right Callum?"

Princess Rayla's eyes widened in surprise.

Callum choked out a reply, "Yes Ez-Ezran. She is quite beautiful."

"Thank you for yer- your kind words," Princess Rayla said, she shifted slightly in discomfort and her smile was a little forced.

Callum felt his throat tighten, not sure what he should say to her next. After all, in the coming year or two, she would be his wife and he, her husband. Most people got to know their future spouses over time, grew comfortable with them and love them. Princess Rayla was a stranger to him, he was a stranger to her. Callum visibly swallowed, he wondered what were her thoughts on the arrangement. If perhaps she didn't want it or if she agreed with it, outside of the reasons it would help the nations.

Rayla locked eyes with the human Prince, the one she would marry someday. Though he stood taller than her now due him standing on a step, she could tell she would be taller than him on even ground. If he wasn't an overly serious type, Rayla imagined she would enjoy teasing him about it. She was here out of honor, she would do her job and play her part to the best of her ability. The problem would come when it was time for them to work together, whether or not they would be friends. It wasn't something she liked to think about, but now that she was here, she couldn't push it out of her mind.

"Now that the pleasantries have been passed," King Runaan said, "I do believe there is some business to attend to."

King Harrow smiled, though it looked forced, before it shifted to his usual happy attitude, "You are quite right. There is business to attend, but the work begins the day after tomorrow. You all should rest and should you feel up to it, join my family and I for dinner."

"And tomorrow you will receive a tour of our kingdom," Queen Sarai added, her smile sharp, "How about for now we show you to where you will be staying?"

Runaan nodded stiffly, "Very well."

King Harrow looked to Prince Callum, who then stepped forward, "If you both would follow me to your chambers."

Rayla ended up walking beside Prince Callum as he guided them through the castle on a quick tour of the place and up to their rooms. The castle had three towers, the tallest one belonged to the King and Queen, the second belonging to the Princes and the third reserved for guests. The prince talked with ease as far as Rayla could tell, but she noticed as he walked he would nearly stumble every so often and cover it up.

In her mind she thought he must have an injury that never healed and it was a weakness, though she did push the thoughts away. If anything, the information might be used for later should he pose a problem or threat, which she doubted. However, she knew it was important to never underestimate an opponent and he may not have been one now, that didn't mean he could become one.

Prince Callum entered the hallway that was at the top of this tower, he walked to the right to a door with Runaan's name on it in elvish. That had been surprising, she wouldn't have thought the humans knew anything in their native tongues.

"King Runaan here are your chambers," Prince Callum said as he gestured to the door.

Runaan nodded to him, "Thank you. King Harrow, Queen Sarai, there is something I must discuss with you."

Queen Sarai had a sour look flicker on her face, but she recovered quickly, "If you insist. Prince Callum, Prince Ezran show Princess Rayla to her chambers."

"Yes ma'am," Prince Callum said, he looked at Rayla, "If you would follow me."

Rayla followed the princes to her room down the hall, though she did glance back over her shoulder at Runaan who gave her a quick nod. She returned her attention ahead when he disappeared with the other royals into his chambers. The walk was short, she also had a small window by the doors to her chambers and that made her smile. Once alone she would see just how well she would be able to scale the walls of this place. Runaan would have a fit if she were caught so she would have to wait until the night came. Once at the door, Prince Callum looked to his younger brother with a fond smile.

"Hey Ez, you think our guest would like one of your jelly tarts," asked the Prince, the formal tone had faded.

Prince Ezran's smile was blinding, "Oh yeah! Princess Rayla, wait right here. You are in for a real treat. Haha, treat. Cause it's a jelly tart."

Rayla laughed lightly, "I look forward to trying it."

With that, the young prince was off, running as fast as his feet would carry him. That left the pair alone in the hallway, no eyes to watch them, no ears to listen in. Rayla wondered if they would ever have a moment like this again before their wedding, though it was still some time away. The Prince inhaled sharply, his shoulders squared and Rayla wondered what he was doing, or preparing to do.

"Listen Princess Rayla," Callum said quietly as he turned to face her, "I know you and I are meant to be married, but just know I do not expect you and I be romantically involved at this time or any time. If you would prefer for us to be more like business partners, then I will respect that. However I do hope that we may at least become friends during your stay here."

Rayla could not hide the surprise at his words, though she was not sure what she had been expecting from him, that certainly hadn't been it. However at his words, she did feel some tension leave her.

"I do hope we can become friends as well," Rayla told him honestly with a nod, she extended her hand to him, "My friends call me Rayla."

Prince Callum looked at her hand, he took it in his own, he had a thought, "Would it make you uncomfortable if I kissed your hand? I know it's something princes do to princess's, but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Rayla blinked, "Uh, I mean you could. I'm not familiar with that custom."

Prince Callum nodded. He bent forward and lifted her hand to his lips, it lasted only a moment, but it seemed to slow down time in Rayla's mind. No one had ever kissed her hand before, no one asked to either. It was strange, the feeling made her stomach tighten, but she ignored it as he stood straight and released her hand. The spot where his lips touched felt warmer than the rest of her hand.

"It's a human tradition," he told her, "Meant to show respect, chivalry, politeness or devotion."

Rayla nodded, "I see. Well thanks for that Prince Callum."

"Just Callum," he said with a soft smile, "It's what my friends or everyone calls me."

"Nice to meet you 'Just Callum'," Rayla smirked, "Yer a social butterfly then?"

Callum shook his head, his smile easy, "No, I'm definitely more of a hermit crab than a butterfly."

Rayla held back a chuckle, "You know I can see that."

"Yeah," Callum said, he rubbed the back of his neck, "Well I'll uh, I'll let you get unpacked and rest. See you at dinner tonight?"

"I'll be the one wearin' green," Rayla replied with a small smile.

Callum returned her grin before walking away leaving Rayla alone to her thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Nanowrimo folks! Writing as much as I possibly can this month, so here's an update for ya'll! As always, thanks for the support! Hope you enjoy!**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Evening Meals and Hidden Tunnels**

Dinner came too quickly as far as Rayla was concerned. Runaan had come to get her so they could go down together, only to find her still dressed in her earlier attire sitting at the window seat. She learned the tower closer to this one housed the princes, her window specifically could see Prince Callum's. He had opened the window and called to her in what was definitely not princelike, but it made Rayla laugh and feel more at ease.

For the time being, she was glad to see he wasn't the only one eager to lose the formalities, in private at least. He had been waving flags at her earlier, which she didn't understand, but imagined he would likely tell her about if not at dinner, then after the meal. She could still see him from her spot, he was holding up something she couldn't quite see. Likely he forgot that his window was still open and he was in view of her.

"Rayla, you should be dressed," Runaan told her, forcing her attention on him.

Rayla turned to look at him, she hadn't heard him come in which was unlike her. If anything, Rayla was often times too alert and aware of her surroundings, constantly remaining vigilant. The fact she had been unaware of her guardian's presence caught both of them off guard. She turned herself to face him, letting her feet press onto the floor with a... not necessarily displeased look, but she didn't look happy.

As far as Runaan was concerned, he thought Rayla was too vigilante at times, as if she were hoping for something to jump out so she could act on the impulses she had. The fact that she didn't notice him until he spoke was out of character. Runaan would not remark on it for now, given the ordeal of the day and the upcoming meal, he could imagine she was stressed and a little lost in her mind.

Rayla replied with a tired voice, "Oh right, yeah. Is it dinner already?"

Runaan nodded, "It is. Now get dressed, quickly."

With that, Runaan was gone leaving her to change out of this dress to another. Though Rayla didn't hate dresses, she preferred pants because she could fight in them better than anything else. However there was a skirt used that was short and easy to move around in. Quickly she changed into the fairly plain and simple emerald gown, one of the many gowns she had been forced to bring with her on this journey.

Although the wedding was not soon approaching, she knew it would be here before she knew it and for the time being, she would paraded around the human kingdoms and her husband to be paraded around the lands of Xadia. It was because of this she had to present herself as best she could, making sure that she remained on her best behavior as she was no representing every single elf that lived in Xadia. She shoved the thought away.

Rayla observed herself in the mirror, now she doubted wearing the green dress, but she didn't have the energy or time to try on a different dress. The top like most of her gowns had a high neck line that split there and stopped where her chest started. The sleeves were short, though her forearms were covered in black armbands.

She refused to wear long arm gloves and the compromise had been these bands, but she knew Runaan regretted such a compromise. He couldn't fight her too much on it though, he knew the reason she wanted her forearms covered at any and all costs. The bottom of the dress didn't flare out, it wasn't puffy and didn't cling to her frame. It was just flat and fairly straight, though it had plenty of folds. She had merely brushed her hair and used the the small braid on the side of her face to hold back her fly aways.

Once she was satisfied, she left her room and was escorted to the dinner by Runaan and two human guards. Likely meant to make sure they didn't do anything they weren't supposed to do. The moonshadow elves entered dining hall, their hosts already standing at the table waiting for them along with their own entourage at the opposite end. King Harrow stood at the head of the table and Runaan would sit the other head of the table. Though typically Rayla would sit at his left, she would sit at the center of the table across from Prince Callum, who stood behind her seat, posture rigid.

"Welcome," greeted King Harrow, "I hope the rooms were to your satisfaction."

Runaan nodded, his smile waning, "Quite so. Thank you."

Runaan then moved to stand beside his chair as Rayla then moved to her seat where Prince Callum awaited her. The young prince offered a small smile in greeting which Rayla returned. She would have told him hello, but since the King was speaking, she decided not to say anything and simply focus back to the human King. He was giving thanks to his servants for preparing the food and for having their guests with them.

Once that was finished, King Harrow asked that everyone take a seat. Prince Callum pulled back Rayla's chair. The chair scraped the floor a bit loudly, but not that noticeable as far as Rayla was concerned. Though the Prince's face had taken on a slightly red hue.

"Here you go my lady," he said with a slight bow.

Rayla nodded to him, she told him her thanks as she took a seat. He allowed her to adjust the chair as she liked then walked around the table to take his seat across from her. Though the table wasn't quite as nice as the one in the castle she did live in, but it felt homey. The silverware was polished nicely, but the designs were not the lavish ones Rayla had seen. In fact, they looked rather simple in comparison. However as she studied the rest of the table, she realized it was on purpose. It was a simple vibe, doing away with the grandness of it all.

It made Rayla want to smile. She glanced at the King with a neutral expression. He seemed on the more relaxed side of things, she imagined he had done this for the purpose of making everyone feel comfortable and not as stuffy. They all may be royals, but that didn't mean they needed to put on their best show while they enjoyed a meal together. Rayla loved that.

The table was fairly large, the set up with the humans on one side and the elves on the other would only be this way for a few meals. The reasoning to show case that the bridge between their worlds were the two young members of their group. Eventually the seating would change to mix them more together, but for now it was best to leave it this way. Rayla then learned that the new humans were apart of King Harrow's council and guard, the same way that Runaan has brought his council and guard.

Though Runaan's party was smaller, it was because all of his guards were his Advisor's. King Harrow had an advisor named Lord Viren and there were a few others who sat beside him. It was across from that his children were seated, Claudia and Soren. Queen Sarai was seated on Harrow's right and Ezran on his left.

Conversation started, though Rayla found herself being on the silent side of these as the meal progressed, the same could be said for Prince Callum who avoided looking at her. At one point he had been asked to comment on something that Rayla wasn't paying attention too, she saw him become flustered and barely recovering. Her pale gaze went to the one she knew asked the question, the dark mage named Viren, who appeared smug at the Prince's discomfort. It ticked her off, reminding her of all the elves back home who were waiting for her to mess up and when she did, appeared pleased.

Her fists clenched in her lap, but she calmed down when she looked back at Callum who was grinning at something his brother said. And with that, the dinner continued on. Rayla had spoken a handful of times and even talked with Prince Callum for awhile, though their conversation was strange. They didn't talk about anything really, though it wasn't really small talk. Whatever it was, was not something Rayla hoped would be their normal.

Finally dinner was over. The Kings and Queen lead the way out of the dining hall, the advisors behind them and lastly were the heirs. Rayla found the pecking order odd, however at one point King Harrow glanced back at them. His gaze went to Prince Callum, the King barely nodded and her betrothed smiled at him. It was the first time she had ever seen him smile at the King. The prince then looked at her, he pressed a finger to his lips to show he wanted her to be quiet. Rayla's curiosity had been piqued, what on earth was he going to do. She nodded to show she understood.

The oldest prince turned his attention to his little brother, he tapped the boy's shoulder and then whispered something into his ear. Rayla watched as Prince Ezran's face lit up in excitement he opened his mouth to say something, but Prince Callum quickly covered his mouth. Katolis' heir gave his brother a confused look, but realization crossed his expression as Prince Callum removed his hand.

Prince Callum then returned to his rigid and awkward walk and his brother rushed forward, ahead of Rayla. However, before she could question, the youngest Prince turned sharply down a small opening to her surprise. Prince Callum stopped walking, he took Rayla's wrist and tugged her to the right down the narrow hallway.

When they made it to a hidden room, Rayla found her voice, "Alright, what is goin' on here?"

Prince Ezran answered her excitedly, "Dad said we could show you around on a special tour."

Rayla tilted her head to the side, "Is that so? And do tell what makes this tour so special."

"It's a surprise," Prince Callum replied, he released her wrist, "I spoke with King Harrow and King Runaan, both were fine with it so long as we were not left alone."

Rayla smirked, "Ah yes, the human customs for courting where the two cannot be left alone without a chaperone."

Callum rubbed the back of his neck, then straightened himself, "Yes, uh, yes. I wouldn't want to be inappropriate."

"Well what are we waiting for," Rayla asked them, "I'm eager to see what makes this tour so interesting."

"Great, come on, let's go," Prince Ezran said to them, his smile and eyes wide.

As Rayla and Ezran walked ahead, Callum struggled to keep himself from drowning in his thoughts as he followed them through the halls. He studied Rayla, but he couldn't seem to focus on what she or Ezran was saying about this place. There were so many things wrong with this picture, taking the princess on this tour was a mistake and breaking so many rules that Callum didn't want to think about now. He was a prince of Katolis, not by blood, but through marriage/ adoption.

If he messed up in any way, he was looked down upon. However he did something right, it was usually viewed positively and people were impressed by him. Though he didn't like basing his worth off of what other people said about him, how he acted and appeared reflected both this nation and his family. He couldn't paint them in a bad life just because he wasn't exactly royal material. His attention was brought out of his spiraling thoughts at the sound of Rayla's laughing at Bait, Ezran's glow toad. Her smile was wide, eyes shut for a moment as she collected her breath.

When her laugh died down a moment later, she opened her eyes and said, "That was pretty good there Prince Ezran. I guess it makes sense why ya call him Bait."

Ezran nodded, "Yeah. Mom and Callum thought it was really funny to."

To Callum's surprise, the princess glanced at him with a gaze he couldn't quite read. He wondered if he was supposed to say something, but no words left his tongue, he didn't even manage to smile at her. The corners of her mouth twitched before she turned away to keep walking with Ezran. Callum felt his throat tighten, has he already ruined this engagement? Would the human and elf kingdoms fall apart because he didn't know how to carry a conversation with her? He hoped a hole would swallow him up.

Rayla didn't like the way Callum was acting, he seemed uneasy and lost as they walked through the tunnels. It was worse than how he was acting at dinner, but she didn't know what she could do to help and she didn't want to ask. Maybe this was how he was all the time or he was still trying to figure out how to act around her.

It wouldn't have surprised Rayla if he was uneasy around her because she was an elf, most humans she had encountered were wary of her and others like her. Though Rayla found she wasn't uneasy around most of them. The only human that she was unsure of was the one called Lord Viren, considering he was a practitioner of Dark Magic. Rayla could admit she had been nervous to meet Prince Callum, but having met him, she didn't feel as nervous as earlier. She wished he wouldn't observe her so much though.

"Yer brother doesn't talk much does he," Rayla commented to the crown prince as they turned right.

Ezran shrugged his shoulder, "No, not really. But he's never been good at talking to girls."

Rayla barely held back a chuckle, "I imagine harder to talk to an elf girl then?"

"You're the first elf girl he's ever talked to, or that we've ever talked to," Ezran told her, he looked up at her, "I had a dream once that I made a friend with an ocean elf and we went swimming in his chocolate lake before a dragon came trying to get us out of it."

Rayla grinned, "Well that sounds like quite the adventure. Though I've never had chocolate."

"Really," Ezran said in surprise and horror, he looked at his brother, "Callum, did you hear that? The princess has never had chocolate!"

"I heard Ez, guess we should fix that at the end of, of the tour," Callum said a bit unsteadily.

Ezran agreed immediately, "Of course! These tunnels will lead us to the kitchen, I bet the baker will let us have some."

And with that, Ezran had raced ahead of them excited at the idea of chocolate and possibly jelly tarts in their future. Rayla chuckled, she didn't spend much time with kids, let alone elves or humans near her age. Being around Prince Ezran was a nice change, he was a sweet and quirky kid.

"He's a sweet kid," Rayla said as she started walking again.

Callum joined her, "Yeah, he really is. Do you uh, have any siblings?"

Rayla shook her head, "No, just me, m'self and I. Though sometimes I wanted a sibling to play around with, either to look up to or be a mentor to."

"It is pretty cool," Callum told her, he changed the subject, "Is there anything like this back at your castle?"

Rayla wanted to laugh at the question, but kept her expression the same. Sometimes she couldn't believe she was technically a royal and that was the most normal question to ask. What do you have at your castle? Even though Rayla did technically live in a castle and Runaan had a summer palace, she liked to think of the cabin she lived in before as where she lived in. It had three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, living space and a nice yard. That place was home to her. The rooms of the palace, the high walls of the castle, were too large for her and she felt herself shrink whenever she was there. However, she was brought back to his question.

She nodded, "Yeah, we have some tunnels underneath the castle, but not the summer palace. The walls are similar though."

Rayla placed her hand on the stone wall. A memory lying under the surface of her thoughts, she was struggling to keep it from coming out into the open, but her thoughts drifted to it. She could see her parents over her shoulder-

"_You'll never catch me," called Rayla as a child. _

_The voice of her father, "Oh no, she's much too fast for us."_

_A giddy laugh Rayla as she turned a corner sharply, her heart pounding with adrenaline. Suddenly she was in someone's arms._

"_I've got you now," the voice of her mother._

"_Aw no fair," Rayla whined with a pout, "I'll get you next time."_

_Her mother smiled at her and her father came into view, both looking proud. Their faces blurred, but looking back she could see that they did care and were happy to play along with her._

"_You certainly will my dear," said her father-_

Rayla forced the memory away, lowering her hand she said, "Yeah. Quite similar stone actually."

"That's pretty cool, maybe we had the same architect," Callum suggested with a slight grin.

"Maybe," was all Rayla said as they continued on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Morning Climbs and Daylight Fights**

Callum typically wasn't up at sunrise, but he struggled to stay asleep. His mind would not stop racing, even though he always knew she would come one day, her being here meant their wedding isn't far away. Even though they had more than a year, he could still remember when he had years to wait before meeting her in person.

Now that he had met her which meant soon they would be married and that terrified him. Not to mention he was worried about what she thought of him. Did she think he was nice? Or did she hate him already? Maybe she couldn't stand humans, they had only a handful of interactions. If that were true, then he had ruined the chance to bring humans and elves together all because he doesn't know how to be a proper prince.

It was safe to say, Prince Callum could not sleep. Eventually exhaustion did take over, but it was restless and his mind wouldn't stop turning, forcing him to remain awake. At first he thought drawing would help, but when he started to draw the princess, he snapped his sketchbook closed and climbed back in bed.

When the first light of the day entered his room, he decided he might as well get ready for the day. However instead of blue uniform top, he put on the red one that matched his brother's. Callum did put on a blue jacket over it to make it his own. What could he say, he enjoyed having a splash of blue on him. A brief flicker of panic went through him though. What if the jacket made him look less like a prince? No, he couldn't have that. If the elves or the people of Katolis were going to respect him, then he had to look the part as much as humanly possible.

Callum was starting to remove the jacket when movement out his window caused him to pause. It was quick, but he saw something. He moved over to the window to see Princess Rayla, scaling up the tower to the guest room that belonged to her. Callum gaped in surprise at her. She was scaling the tower, she was actually climbing up the stone tower with… her bare hands. Why? Why was she climbing up to the tower? Where had she gone before?

Callum's mind was spinning. He wanted to call out to her, but feared if he startled her she would fall and that was the last thing he wanted. Why did the elves and humans go right back to war? Cause the human prince surprised the elf princess and she fell to her death. Callum really hated his mind sometimes for coming up with stuff like that.

The next thing to pop into his mind was whether or not he should go ask her about or wait until later. Though in all honesty, the likelihood of them having a moment alone for him to ask her what she was doing would be slim. Callum didn't even want to think of everything he had to do today along with her. Tomorrow would be even worse considering they would have to appear together in public. At least it wouldn't be a big thing, that wouldn't come until later. Sketchbook in hand, he left his room and headed down to the courtyard.

On his way to a bench by the old tree, he spotted Claudia nearby. Claudia was a good friend, she could do real magic and did some of the funniest things. They had been friends since they were little kids and Callum could admit he had a mild crush on her for awhile, but he had to ignore it and forget it. In a weird way, he thought it was cheating even if he wasn't in a relationship. One day he would be, and it wouldn't be with her. She spotted him after a minute.

"Hey Callum," she called with a happy smile, "you're up earlier than usual."

Callum nodded, "Yeah, uh, thought I'd get an early start to the morning. What about you?"

"Dad has a magic lesson, woke me up ages ago to get to work and now I finally have a minute," Claudia said with a quick laugh.

Something about her tone gave Callum pause, but he pushed the thought aside. Odds are he was hearing things or maybe overthinking, something he did tend to do a lot. Even as he tried to push the weird tone away, part of him knew the reason for the lesson. Elves had been the enemies of humans for years on end and now some of them were here in the castle with fairly easy access to the leaders of this nation. If the finest guards couldn't stop an attack by the elves, then it would be up to Claudia and Viren. Callum forced himself not to shudder.

"I wish I could do magic," Callum said softly, "It's amazing."

Claudia offered him a smile, "Maybe one day I can teach you some things."

The idea of learning magic had always interested Callum. He really wanted to learn, especially when he found out that he could do it. An accident from a few years ago, he had watched Claudia's magic lesson (without Viren or her knowing) with a stone and her writing in the air. He had used the stone and done the spell, he was a mage for all of five minutes.

Viren hadn't been too annoyed with him because he did the spell correctly on his first try, however it was Queen Sarai who was furious. The Queen hated magic, specifically dark magic and didn't want her children anywhere near it. When Lord Viren told the Queen that Callum had the potential to be a mage, she forbid him and his brother from participating in magic. Callum had been devastated, he argued and begged his mother to reconsider this, but she would not budge.

It infuriated Callum that he ran off into the forest and tried to practice magic once again, only to lead to injury and some damage. After that, he agreed agreed he wouldn't do it, though in his mind he agreed only until a certain point. One day he would learn magic.

"I hope one day you can," Callum told her with a grimace.

Claudia gave him a sympathetic look before being called away by Soren. The two said their quick goodbyes leaving Callum to his thoughts. Then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. There, just hidden from view, was Rayla climbing back down the tower. The step prince gaped at the sight, what on earth was she thinking? He glanced around to see if any of the guards had noticed, luckily they hadn't. Or maybe unluckily considering it was their job to spot anything out of the ordinary, unless maybe they knew the elf princess was going to do this.

Callum shook his head, he glanced up at her to see she had made it back to the window and her feet were dangling over the edge. If not for the fact he had seen her climb up there, he would have worried she would. Well he still worried she would fall, but he had a feeling she would be okay. He walked over to the tower, up the stairs onto a ledge as she started to make her descent once more. Wordlessly, he took a seat on the walls of this cat walk when she landed a little ways from him, a small smile formed on her face. Relief washed over Callum, at least she didn't appear to be disgusted with him or annoyed that he saw her.

"If isn't Prince Callum," she said as she sauntered over to her betrothed, "I didn't peg you an early riser."

Callum replied, "Not usually, but today was an exception. Why uh, do you always climb towers?"

Callum could have kicked himself for asking that question, he wished he could have taken the words back, but halted those thoughts when the elf princess laughed. A wide grin spread across her face, she closed her eyes as she released the laughs and looked genuinely happy by this conversation. When her laughter faded, Callum was pleased to see that she appeared relaxed and at ease. There were so many rules they were breaking right now when it came to courtship, but for this moment he didn't care that much. It was just nice to sit here and act like the teenagers they were. Especially when the world demanded them to be more.

"It is a habit of mine," Rayla told him, she jumped into the spot next to him with a grin.

"That's incredible," Callum said honestly, he glanced at the tower, "I don't think I could ever do that."

Rayla leaned back slightly, "I wouldn' say that. Who knows, maybe with some practice you could scale a tower."

Callum chuckled, "I'll leave that to you."

A silence settled over the two of them, but the silence was not awkward or uncomfortable much to their relief. Rayla had been worried when she first spotted the prince before, worried he would tell, but when she saw him watching again and again, she had a feeling he would keep this secret.

Runaan had told her not to slack on her trainings, but she knew he hadn't meant scale their tower. Regardless, it had been a perfect way for her to spend the morning. It was freeing, made her feel more alive when she pushed herself. Though it may not have been princess like to climb the towers of their guest, she was sure the guards wouldn't see her and Prince Callum likely wouldn't tell.

"Princess," Callum started unsurely, "Forgive me if this forward, but I… nevermind, it can be discussed later."

Rayla frowned at him, "You can ask me. What's on yer mind?"

Callum shook his head, "No, it's quite alright. Forget I said anything."

Rayla wanted to push the subject, but given the change in demeanor from the prince, she decided not to. Whatever he wanted to ask likely had something to do with their betrothal and what would happen when married or after. When Rayla was younger, she hadn't thought much about finding a mate and once it had been decreed she would marry the human prince, it never crossed her mind. Being here now with the betrothal hanging over her head made her uneasy and she knew there would be plenty of uncomfortable moments to come.

This teen beside her is someone she would call husband one day. In all honesty, she was not certain how to feel about it. She knew those who married loved each other, trusted each other and knew each other. She didn't love him, trust him or know him. The basic parts of what she knew of marriage were the parts she didn't have when it came to her own pre-marriage. There was chance it could change, but that would take time.

While not in a rush for it, the anticipation of it all definitely did not sit well with her. No other words were shared until the bell for breakfast rang. However just as it finished it's final ring, a horn echoed echoed through the kingdom. Rayla looked to Callum with a confused expression, prepared to ask what that meant, but her words were lost at his frightened appearance. He looked at her, the fear remained in his eyes, but his face was protective.

"We have to go, right now," Callum said as he hopped off the ledge, "No time to waste."

Rayla slid off the ledge quickly, "What's going on?"

Callum didn't answer her right away, but as they made their way inside, he explained, "An attack is coming. That horn means our guards posted away from the castle encountered a threat."

Rayla's eyes widened at this news. An attacker was coming here, but that didn't make sense. Well that wasn't true. It was definitely clear that not everyone, elf or human, was pleased by this marriage to be. With this development, Rayla imagined some angry humans were coming to attack her and Runaan. Or perhaps it was elves coming across the border to take her and Runaan away. Tinker had mentioned to them before their journey that he heard whispers of elves planning what they believed would be a rescue.

"Are they elves or humans," Rayla's asked as they paused in a hallway.

Callum glanced at her uncertainty, "I don't know."

"Callum, Princess Rayla," called Queen Sarai as she raced towards them, "Have seen you Ezran?"

Callum answered, "Last I saw he was still in his room."

Queen Sarai sighed, her tone slightly troubled, "The guards checked and he wasn't there. Not to worry, we'll find him. In the meantime, you both need to hide."

"Have you seen Runaan," Rayla asked next.

Of course she knew Runaan could handle any attacker that dared to come near him. Before he had been named King, he had been the top warrior and assassin in Lunaris. Any human or elf who planned to attack him, they would surely regret it. Yet Rayla could not hide the childish fear that something bad could happen to him.

Runaan has taught her that every battle is uncertain, no matter how skilled or prepared a fighter, there is always a chance the fighter will not return. When Runaan had left on some missions, he never promised her that he would return. No matter how much she begged or pleaded with him to promise her that he would come back, he never did. As a child she didn't understand. As of a few years ago, she finally got it. It was a promised he feared he would break.

"Yes, he's with King Harrow now preparing for battle," Queen Sarai told her, "I'm going to join them shortly. Callum, you know what to do. Soren and Claudia should be here soon. Be safe."

"You too," Callum called as his mother took off.

Callum watched his mother leave with a grimace on his face. As Rayla watched the shift in demeanor, she imagined she had made a similar expression every time Runaan left to join a fight. Knowing they were more than capable of protecting themselves, yet still fearing that their opponent would get the upper hand and you would lose someone you loved. Rayla put her hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her with slight surprise.

"They'll be fine, I know it," Rayla said with a confident grin.

Callum chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. You're right. Now follow me, I hope Ezran's in the tunnels already."

Callum and Rayla took off down the hall, Rayla a step behind the prince as he lead the way to where they needed to be. It wasn't the first attack to happen on the castle, this was the first time however that they had a warning. The last time an attacker had been in Katolis, the horn sounded that the intruder was here.

The horn they heard simply meant that their guards had lost the threat and needed to warn the castle which meant they had the advantage now. Even with that, Callum still felt prepared to throw up. He was pitiful with sword, if the intruders found them he would have no way to protect Ezran or Rayla. The thought made him angry as he raced on.

Callum skidded to a halt, Rayla bumping into him. Neither said a word as the sound of swords clashing filled their ears. Whoever the attackers were had made it her much sooner than anticipated or the signal had been delayed. Callum turned to Rayla, easy to point to her that they needed to turn around only for her to start climbing the wall. Callum blinked in surprise as she climbed up with ease before peaking out slightly to get a look at the battle ahead.

From her vantage point she could see the mage's son and daughter were surrounded by humans dressed in black clothing, their faces covered. Rayla watched as the blond, Soren, expertly fought them off with his swordsmanship. His back foot lagged, but Rayla had to admit he was holding his own.

Claudia had a dagger in her hand that she swung around a bit wildly, but then she started talking. Rayla's eyes widened at the language, it was dark magic, the most vile thing on the earth. Ice cold anger had flooded her senses, but she forced herself to remain calm. There was a battle ahead and she needed to focus on that. She jumped down from her high point, landing without making a sound.

"What did you see," Callum asked.

"The mage's children are fighting them," Rayla told them, "They're the ones we're supposed to meet right?"

Callum nodded, "Yes."

"Okay, you stay here," Rayla said.

Callum blinked in surprise, before he question her or stop her, she drew two curved blades from somewhere on her outfit. Those blades were unlike any he had seen in Katolis, most swords here were straight and slim. From what he could tell, her blades were made up of two twisted on each other. Rayla then raced into the hallway, joining the fight without problem.

Soren had been surprised to see the elf princess here fighting, "What are you doing your elfness. It's not safe."

Rayla fought off an attacker, "I'm capable of protecting myself."

"That may be, but you should leave this to us," Claudia argued with a frown.

She saw an attacker behind Rayla. Calling on her magic, she quickly said a spell that would stun him halting his attack on the elf princess. The attacker fell allowing Rayla the opportunity to focus on another fighter, blades moving in flurry of swift movements. Both Soren and Claudia had to admit they were impressed, though they shouldn't have been surprised by the princess's skills. After all, Lunaris was known for producing some of the best warriors, specifically assassins, in the elf kingdoms. Neither sibling could dwell on it, they needed to stop these guys first.

Off on the side, Callum watched mesmerized as Rayla fought off each attacker alongside Soren and Claudia. She moved so smoothly through the fight, it was almost as graceful as the dancers on Ember Island.

"Wow," said Ezran from behind Callum, "Rayla's really good."

Callum jumped in his spot, he looked down at his brother and smiled breathlessly, "Yeah, yeah she is. Where have you been? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I was in the tunnels," Ezran answered with a confused look, "I thought it would be safer there."

"Yeah, it is a safe place to be," Callum told him with a nod.

No other words were exchanged between the human princes. Minutes passed and all the fighters in this area had been taken care of. Once the coast was clear, Callum and Ezran made their way over to the others. Claudia grinned at the sight of them, glad to see they had made it to this point without getting hurt.

"Glad you both made it, are either of you injured," Claudia asked as they stood before her.

"No, we're okay," Callum answered, his gaze shifted to Rayla, "You're injured."

Rayla raised an eyebrow at that, "I feel fine, what do-"

"Your face," Soren told her as he sheathed his sword, "Just a cut, not too deep. Should heal in no time."

Rayla glanced at them, she looked at the nearest reflective object to see herself. There on her right temple was a line of reddish purple blood. Now that she had seen it, the stinging sensation made itself known to her. Runaan would be annoyed at her for this. An injury to the face meant that she wasn't pay close enough attention to her surroundings and that she had misjudged where she was in regards to her opponents weapons. Didn't matter now, it wasn't bad and likely wouldn't leave a noticeable scar. A bandage and some salve should do the trick.

"I can heal it if you want," said Claudia with a kind smile.

Rayla stiffened at her words, "Your… magic doesn't heal."

Claudia shook her head and explained, "This magic is capable of healing."

"The cut will heal on it's own," Rayla said sharply, she softened her tone, "Sorry. Thank you for the offer, but I must decline."

Claudia didn't seem bothered, she shrugged and said, "Suit yourself. Now we all need to get moving."

"We don't know how many attackers there are, so best we get out of sight and wait for the all clear," Soren told them, "Follow me."

"Wait, where are we going," Callum asked as he followed the siblings.

Soren glanced at his sister before answering, "For now a hidden room. If things get too heated, then we have orders to take you to the winter lodge."

As the group made their way into the tunnels, the sound of a whistle could be heard faintly. Rayla didn't know what it meant and before she could question it, they were all running out of the caves into the shining sun.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Happy New Year everyone! Starting this year off right with some lovely updates. As always thank you everyone for the follows, the favorites and the reviews. ****Hope you all have a Happy New Year!**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Impress Her**

They didn't stop running for ages it felt like for Callum, he was never the most physically active so he figured it made sense that he be exhausted. Part of him couldn't help, but be impressed that he hadn't collapsed yet. The castle was out of sight now, but still their pace did not slow. At least not until Ezran tripped on a branch, forcing everyone to halt their run much to Callum's relief.

He went to his brother's side, out of breath he asked, "Hey… you, you alright?"

Ezran nodded, panting, "Tired."

"We shouldn't stop here," Soren said, not sounding out of breath at all, "Who knows how close behind any of the attackers are."

Claudia frowned at her brother, "Soren… I doubt anyone could, could have followed us. A break… a break would be alright."

"I second that," Callum said with a heavy breath.

Callum looked good Rayla, who much like Soren appeared unaffected by the sprint they had just gone through. Though Soren had a shine of sweat on his forehead, Rayla didn't look any different. Even as Callum focused on her a bit longer than he should have, he found that the only out of place was her taking slightly deeper breaths.

As Callum looked at her, he realized how weak he must seem to her. How she was able to run and fight with ease, Callum could barely hold a sword and was already exhausted from their sprint. It frustrated him that he was weaker than the other royals, that he was different and he knew Rayla likely would see him the same. Just a step prince, but he wanted her to see him as more than that. He wanted to impress her, but he knew he was already failing that task.

The elf princess had yet to say anything, her mind seemed to be elsewhere as she looked off into the distance. He followed her line of sight, it was in the direction of the castle. If Callum were being honest, he was worried about his parents and the elf King. The castle of Katolis had only ever had one other break in the past 50 or so years.

"What do you say your elfness," Soren asked turning slightly, "You think we should stop to?"

Rayla glanced around him, "The others are exhausted, but I don't think stopping is a good idea. I suggest we sit for a few minutes, then start walking the rest of the way."

Soren nodded, "Fair enough. You guys catch your breath, then it's back to it."

With that Ezran and Claudia collapsed onto the grassy floor while Callum remained hunched over, gasping for air. He couldn't remember the last time he had run so fast for so long, but he was reminded about why he didn't do that. While it was important for a prince to be physically strong, know how to fight, wield a sword and be proficient at horseback riding, he could never really get into it. When he first arrived to live in the castle after his mother and Harrow were married, he remembered hearing Viren talk about royal lessons.

The etiquette was easy, it was the other stuff that was hard. And as Callum stayed hunched over struggling to calm his racing heart rate did he really remember why. The feeling was awful. His chest was burning, it hurt to take in air, yet filled him with relief to get more oxygen into his lungs. Movement caused his eyes to glance in the direction of the sound to see Rayla had moved to stand beside him, holding something towards him. A small flask with red liquid inside met his vision.

"What's… that," Callum asked as he stood up straight.

"Moonberry juice," Rayla told him with a smile, "I always carry some with me. It's just as hydrational, yeah that's a word, as water, gives you a boost of energy and taste amazing. Have some."

Callum took the flask, "Thank you."

He took a sip, once the liquid made it past his tongue he could feel the burst of energy Rayla was talking about. His eyes widened at the rush that went through him. A smile graced his face which he noticed made Rayla grin as well. It had been incredibly small, but Callum had seen a twinge of worry on her face. Perhaps she just worried he wouldn't like it.

"Wow, that's really good," Callum told her as he handed the flask back to her, "It kind of reminds me of Claudia's hot morning potion, only sweeter."

"Can I have some," Ezran said rising to his feet.

Rayla handed it to him, "Knock yourself out."

Ezran took the item gratefully. The flask was then passed to Claudia and Soren who both enjoyed the drink as well. On the one hand, Rayla was happy to see that everyone here liked it, but she was still uneasy when it came to the mage's children. Soren was a skilled warrior, from what she had heard he was the top guard here at the castle falling short of only three other seasoned soldiers. However if there was ever a need for her to fight him, she was confident she would be able to take him on. Not through strength, but by outwitting him through the environment.

During the fight back at the castle, she had noticed he relies heavily on his sword, not using anything else. Rayla had been taught to use the area around her to advantage, so she felt good about fighting him. Claudia on the other hand made her uncomfortable. The daughter was a dark mage, using that magic which smelled like death.

Dark magic used the life of magical creatures for all kinds of reasons and while Rayla knew any use of the twisted magic was bad, part of her understood why humans had created it. After all, humans had no magical abilities of their own and were not connected to any arcanum the way elves and dragons were. When Rayla tried to imagine life without magic, she could almost understand why the humans were desperate to have magic of their own. It didn't make it right, but she couldn't deny part of her understood.

Though Rayla knew she shouldn't be focused on trying to take either of them down in a fight, she was still wary of them. Runaan taught her that she always had to be prepared, so she couldn't take any chances that the mage's children didn't have the best intentions. Both appeared seemingly harmless, many people often said the same thing about herself and so she could not underestimate them and needed to be prepared in case they turned against her.

"Alright everyone," Soren said, "We need to start walking. The Lodge isn't too far now."

Ezran groaned softly, "I'm so tired Soren. Can't we wait a bit longer."

Soren shook his head, "There's no telling if we were spotted when we exited the tunnel, not to mention if the guards were defeated and sent some men after us. We need to get to the lodge and start thinking about game plans."

"It's not that much further Ez," Callum said reassuringly.

Ezran nodded weakly. Though Ezran had run long distances before, all energy seemed to leave his body and he wasn't sure how far he'd be able to go. Callum was right about the lodge not being not being much furhter, but his legs were shaking at the thought. However he couldn't be the reason that they got captured, so he knew he had to keep going.

He adjusted his backpack which carried his glow toad and started walking. However before he could get much further, Soren stood in front of him. The young prince was about to ask what Soren was doing, but before he could, Soren turned around so his back was to Ezran and bent down with his arms away from his body.

"I know you're exhausted, I can carry you part of the way," Soren said looking over his shoulder, "We could even make it game if you want."

Ezran offered Soren a smile, "Thanks Soren, but you don't have to do that. I don't want you to get tired."

Soren stood up, "Well let me know if you change your mind. Come on team, let's move."

With that the group began walking through the forest. Claudia was in the front of the group, in case of any unforseen trouble mught jump out at them while Soren went to the back. If those attackers did happen to get out here to them, he would be the best line of defense to begin with. Rayla, Callum and Ezran walked in the middle, though Rayla did hang back slightly as she wanted to be of assisstance to Soren should any enemies appear. As they walke don, Rayla couldn't help, but glance back in the direction of where they came, looking past Soren. That childish worry about Runaan came back to her once more, she hoped he was alright.

"I'm sorry," Callum said.

Rayla jerked slightly in surprise, "Sorry? You have nothing to apologize for."

"I feel as if I should," Callum told her, "You were supposed to tour Katolis with me- and Ezran, but now we're running from a threat. I was going to try and impress you with my knowledge of the kingdom, take you to the finest places, but that didn't happen. I apologize that this trip has turned out this way."

Rayla took a moment to reply, "Callum, none of this is yer fault. The day isn't happening exactly as we planned it, but at least none of us are hurt. When we return to the kingdom, then you'll be able to show the kingdom off to me."

Callum nodded, "I suppose that's true."

Rayla could tell that Callum didn't appear sold on her words. Why it seemed to upset him so much, Rayla wasn't sure she understood. However as she thought back to what he said, her mind focused on the word 'impress'. Their discussion on being friends also entered Rayla's mind followed by a series of flashes on how the prince acted. As if he were always trying to prove something. It was then Rayla understood the mannerisms, the formality and the way he acted. He was like her.

Prince Callum was not a prince by blood, she knew this through Ethari who had been quizzing her on the human royals, who was related and married and trade partners and everything else. She vaguely recalled discussing her betrothed when she was younger, how he was not royal by blood either. Both of the were royal through other means and in some cases, meant they had a lot more to prove when it came to how they acted and what they did.

"What do you say you tell me some of yer trivia now," Rayla suggested with a curious look, "I don' know much about the human kingdoms, so feel free to share whatever you want."

"Really," Callum asked hesitantly, but Rayla could see he was excited.

Rayla nodded and listened intently as Callum began telling her the history of Katolis.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Lost Gazes Winter Lodge **

By the time Callum had finished telling Rayla all the interesting points of Katolis' history the winter lodge had come in sight. No one was there, but that didn't mean there couldn't be anyone inside waiting for them. Soren stepped out of the forest first, he kept his gaze focused on the surrounding area looking for any signs that someone might have recently been here. However, he'd have to get closer to inspect the area in order to know for certain. The oldest teen turned around to look at the group he was with, the two royal princes, an elf princess and his sister.

As the top royal guard after only two others and personal protector of the royals, he knew that he could not mess this up at all. All of their lives depended on him to make the right decisions, all of Katolis depended on these three royals surviving any ordeals. There was a lot more at stake than anyone would originally believe at first glance here and he was presented with his first important choice. Soren looked between his sister and the elf princess, his mind churning.

"Uh oh," Claudia started with a mock worried look, "I know that look. Soren's thinking too hard."

"Very funny," Soren remarked dryly, his expression turned serious, "I'm going to scout ahead to go see if anyone is here. Tiny and step prince, go climb a tree and hide. Claudia, you stay with them. Elf royal, with me."

Rayla's brow quirked up at that. In all honesty she had expected the blond guard to tell her to hide away with the princes, this was definitely a nice twist however and she would not question it. Runaan never gave her the opportunity to defend herself, Ethari never did either, so this would be a chance for her to prove to them how capable she was. Of course she knew that shouldn't be the focus right now, she couldn't help, but to think of it. it would be better for everyone if her and Soren were just scouting only to find nothing, but part of her hoped there would be a fight. A minor one, for her to show her stuff without anyone here being hurt.

With a nod, she stepped away from her betrothed and his brother to stand by Soren in the sunlight instead of under the shade of the trees. When she looked back at the others, she noticed the questioning look on the mage's face as well as the worried look on Callum's. His green eyes were focused on her intently with something she couldn't quite place, though she imagined it was more worry based on the rest of his facial expression. However her attention was brought to the mage.

Claudia raised an eyebrow at Soren, "What are you thinking Soren? Shouldn't all the royals hide while you and I inspect the area? You know, to keep them out of sight and safe."

Soren shook his head, "Princess Rayla is the only other warrior here, if something were to jump out she would be better suited to handling it. One of us needs to be each of the royals at any given time, leaving the three of them alone equals trouble. Besides, I imagine she's trained for this type of stuff. Are you?"

He had turned to look at Rayla as he asked the question. Though he had seen her fight, he would need her confirmation that she could handle a scouting mission and possibly a fight if it did come to that. While Claudia could fight with her magic and dagger, Soren knew leaving all three royals without some type of protection was out of the question. Not that Claudia couldn't stay with the three of them nor Rayla's inability to protect herself, but he needed a second pair of eyes with him.

Sure, Soren liked to think himself excellent at picking up on things that didn't belong and he certainly didn't doubt his abilities to scout alone, but he needed all of his bases covered. Not to mention, since it was likely that all three of the royals were targets, it made perfect sense him to keep them separated. If only there had been a third guard, then all of them would split up in different directions until they received a message that everything was safe and they could return. With that thought in mind, Soren hoped that Corvus would join them at some point.

Rayla nodded, her gaze intense, "I was trained to be an assassin, stealth might as well be my middle name."

"There you have it," Soren said to Claudia.

"I don't know about this Soren," Claudia said with a slight head shake, "We were tasked to keep the royals out of danger. Not bring them into it."

"I agree, I think Rayla should stay with us," Callum added stepping forward.

Rayla was at first surprised by this. With her attention on him, she narrowed her gaze at him and didn't bother to hide her annoyance at his agreement with the mage. Why would he say that? She could kind of understand Claudia's disapproval, mostly because of the idea of a royal fighting would be similar of their guards not doing their jobs, which was a universal thing. Royals may have been trained to fight, but actually letting them fight seemed to cause problems. Or at least she supposed it could have something to do with their younger ages. That didn't sit well with Rayla, but she supposed she could understand that.

However Callum didn't quite make sense. The step prince stood there with a hesitant expression on his face, his green eyes shimmering. Rayla studied him for a moment, wondering if she could get a read on what he was thinking or feeling based on his body language. The uncertainty was almost palpable as was the concern he seemed to be feeling. Exactly what he was concerned about, Rayla couldn't quite tell. Obviously the idea of walking into a trap was nerve wracking, though he should know that the two of them would be fine and could handle it.

A different thought hit Rayla then. His parents were back at the castle fighting unknown enemy and now his betrothed could very well walk into a similar situation. With that in mind, she softened her expression to show that she wasn't as upset by his disapproval, but that didn't mean she was okay with it. Only that she could understand a little.

"We are running from attackers, they are already in danger regardless of whether or not we scout the lodge separately or we all just walk up to it," Soren stated, his tone slightly agitated by the conversation.

"I don't have a problem doin' this," Rayla spoke up, her gaze lingered on Callum before looking to Soren, "I am more than capable of fighting if it comes to that."

Soren turned to his gaze to Claudia, "See? She has no problem with it. You get to guard the princes and I'll look out for Princess Rayla. When the coast is clear, Princess Rayla or myself will wave from the door. Stay hidden until then."

Claudia shook her head, "Soren, I really think that all of the royals should hide in the trees while we scout the lodge and make sure it's safe."

Soren sighed heavily, "We are wasting time. Clauds, listen to me. One of us needs to be with the royals at all times and since they outnumber by one, that means splitting up. Ezran and Callum are not as trained as Rayla, so having either of them scout with me is a bad idea. Leaving the three of them without one of us, is a bad idea. We are not supposed to leave the royals to defend themselves _on their own_ unless absolutely necessary. Elf princess and I are going to scout, you all will hide."

It wasn't perfect, but Claudia did understand where he was coming from. When they were assigned the duty and honor of protecting the royals, one of them needed to be with them at all times no matter what was going on. If the group split up, Claudia and Soren could not be together and had to split as well. This appeared to be one of those times and for now, she would have to leave it at that.

"Fine," Claudia said with a nod, "Come on Ezran, Callum."

Callum looked like he wanted to protest, but kept his mouth shut in favor of not prolonging the conversation. His gaze was on Rayla, a pleading look that was essentially asking her not to go or to be careful. Rayla wasn't sure trying to comfort him would be a good idea, but the idea of not giving him any reassurance made her upset. Why exactly, she wasn't sure.

"We'll be alright, just some scouting," Rayla found herself saying, wanting to ease his worries.

Callum didn't look convinced. However he did nod to her in acknowledgement of her words. As Rayla began to walk away with Soren to investigate the area, the elf princess glanced over her shoulder to look at her betrothed and his brother. Ezran was already hidden in the treelines with Claudia while Callum stood still. He was just watching her with a far off look on his face, but somehow still focused on her and only her. Was it fear? Just worry? Uneasines? Rayla couldn't figure it out, but she didn't look enough to see.

* * *

As Callum leaned back against the tree trunk, hidden by the leaves with his brother on a branch above him and Claudia on a lower one, he felt frustrated. Princes were supposed to stay by their Princesses or Princes side when betrothed, especially during uncertain and dangerous times. He closed his eyes as he recalled the memory of his mother explaining to him some of the more mature details about what it meant to be betrothed. How it would his job to look out for her and her job to watch out for him.

A built in best friend had been one way to look at it, although a far from perfect perspective. Here he was, hiding in a tree while she was off with Soren scouting the Winter Lodge for danger. Granted he knew even if he was with her, he wouldn't be much help. All of his trainings went poorly, which was a disaster for him considering how skilled his mother and aunt were when it came to fighting. It bothered him to no end that he would likely never amount to their caliber.

"Callum, are you alright," Ezran asked looking down at his brother.

Callum didn't look up, "Yeah Ez, just lost in thought is all."

Ezran frowned, "Is that all?"

"Mostly," Callum replied softly, he looked up then, "Are you alright?"

Ezran shrugged his shoulders, but gave no verbal remark. This upset Callum. Whenever Ezran felt like the answer he had wasn't the appropriate or correct one, he would shrug his shoulders. The royal tutors hated that even more, it didn't stop him from doing it though. The reason why it bothered Callum was because he wished Ezran didn't have to feel that way. Since Ezran was heir to the throne, people expected a lot from him despite his young age. He wasn't allowed to show his fears or worries, even when their parents encouraged him, the tutors told him otherwise. Those tutors had since been removed after an incident when Ezran was eight, but their words seemed to stick.

"Ezran, it's okay to be worried about mom and dad," Callum told him simply.

Ezran shook his head, "I'm not worried. I know they'll be fine. Same with Soren and Rayla."

Callum brought his attention forward, looking through the one hole in the leaves and branches gave the smallest glimpse of the winter lodge. While he couldn't see anything clearly, it gave him some comfort that if something did go wrong he might be able to tell. Claudia had a much better view below and along with help from her magic. The thought of her magic made Callum frown though, his mind went to Rayla's discomfort at the use of magic. When Claudia offered to heal her wound, Rayla looked horrified at the idea of it.

This certainly had nothing to do with magic itself or Claudia, but the type of magic humans used. Though Callum didn't know a lot about the magic humans used or about the magic of the elves, the one thing he knew for certain was the fact that they were very different. Exactly how different, he couldn't tell. Maybe when this all blew over, he would ask Rayla about it and get her perspective. Surely, it couldn't be that bad. Several more minutes past, the warmth the sun being blocked by the shade of the trees as the royals and mage waited in the tree tops.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: It's a posting kind of day. I've spent a lot of time on some other projects and have been neglecting my other ones which is so sad. Enjoy this chapter for your Monday! Hope you all are staying safe during these uncertain times!**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Better Left Unsaid**

Rayla sat on the roof of the lodge, her mind in a far off place. The scouting 'mission' had gone off without a single problem, no one was here or nearby. It had been easy, but not too easy which was a relief for both Rayla and Soren. If a fight had broken out, it would mean this place was no longer safe and they would have to keep running. Even though they likely would need to be prepared to leave at any moment on the chance they were followed all the way out here, a thought that did not sit well with Rayla.

It was not the first time she had been on the wrong or needed to be on high alert, but she had barely been in the new kingdom for two days before something had gone wrong. While she did not blame the human royals for that, a part of her could not deny how upset she was by everything that had happened. The sun had gone down a few minutes ago, but there was still no word if it was safe to return to the castle. No news could be perceived as good or bad. Not having news of any of the monarchs demise was a great positive, yet their lack of a message could have also meant things had taken an incredibly worse turn.

That was something she didn't want to think about, but she couldn't help it. There was fear in her heart, fear that something bad had happened to Runaan or to the human monarchs. It was childish for Rayla to be as worried as she was for Runaan. Yet she just couldn't help herself, it reminded her of everytime she had to say goodbye to him. How she had to pretend she wasn't worried that he may not return, how she had to act like the thought of him not returning didn't make her want to cry.

He was not her father by blood, by marriage, he was barely her father by adoption, but that didn't mean she didn't love him as much as she had loved her own father. Rayla looked up to the half moon, she should have felt comfortable under the night sky, but it only made her feel miserable. The magic she possessed was flickering in our inside her and she knew it wasn't just because it was a half moon.

Meanwhile Callum knew he wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon. Soren was standing guard outside while Ezran and Claudia were getting some rest. Callum had tried as well, but he could feel something was wrong. Not in a horrible and they were in trouble kind of way, but in the way that he knew Rayla was not alright. This was not the first time he had ever felt this though.

There had been a time, many years ago, when Callum and Rayla had been close enough to nearly meet each other and it had been the first step in their betrothal, or bind. Their marriage would involve an ancient magic bind on them, meant to connection the two of them and their kingdoms in a way that hadn't been seen in many years. On the day of their wedding would be the last step of the bind, but when they were kids, there had been a first step. Callum didn't remember it as if it were yesterday, but he couldn't deny that the vividness of the memory despite the years since was incredibly strong. If he had to guess, it was likely due to whatever magic had been placed on them.

Callum remembered traveling with his mother, Aunt Amaya and Viren to the border when he was eight years old. His mother and aunt had been less than pleased to bring him there, but he had been excited to see the border where his aunt was a guard and maybe see some magic of the other lands. When they arrived to the border, Viren had told him to put on these moonshadow elf ceremonial clothes. Viren then instructed him to stand near the edge and look out into the distance. He stood there for several minutes before Viren told him to turn around, keep his back to the border and lay down. Several more minutes passed before Viren told him stand up, walk to his mother, but not to look behind him, at all.

Callum did as he was told. Soon as he made it in front of his mother, he collapsed into her arms. For a minute he was unconscious, but he heard a voice, Rayla's voice, that called his name. And in response, he called her name right back. Then it was over. He put his original clothes back on and returned to the castle with his mother and Viren. He never looked back, but he remembered desperately wanting to look. None of it made sense at the time, but a few weeks before Rayla's arrival, his mother explained what it was.

The first step of their bind required that two be near each other, but kept separated by something that could keep them apart. The border had been the thing which could keep them separated, it symbolized their lands. He hadn't been able to look back and he gussed she likely hadn't been able to either. He wasn't sure why that had been part of it, but he didn't any of the reasoning of it. Days after that bind, he became somewhat aware of Rayla and she had become aware of him in the same breath.

Callum would have moments where he would feel something second hand at random. Sometimes it was anger, other times joy, maybe some sorrow to or fear. While he had no idea what it was, he hadn't been afraid of it and was even curious about it and their emotions would randomly hit the others, but then she went silent when he was thirteen. To feel her concern pop into his mind had been a surprise and he knew that something must have really been bothering her.

Maybe it wasn't his business, but he was worried and went to find her. After searching for several minutes, he spotted the open skylight and after nearly falling to his death, he managed to get to the roof. Sitting on the edge of the roof, one leg dangling over the other while the other she used to lean on, he saw her. The first thing he noticed about her was her hair, it looks just strands of moonlight and he was mesmerized by it.

"Hey are you alright," Callum asked, causing Rayla to jump in surprise. "I'm sorr- I mean, I apologize," he said softly, "I hadn't meant to scare you."

Rayla dismissds it, "No worries. Just lost in ma head I guess."

Callum nodded to show he understood. Silently and as carefully as he could, he made his way over to the spot where she was sitting. While he had climbed to the roofs of his castle before, there had been railings to ensure that even if tripped and fell, he would not fall to the far ground below. However the winter lodge had no rail and the anxiety of falling made his heart pound in his chest. Nervously, he took a seat a little behind Rayla so that he would not have to get closer to edge than necessary.

"What brings you out here human prince," Rayla asked, her tone light, but Callum could see something was bothering her. Well, he could feel it actually.

"Something's bothering you," Callum said softly.

Rayla raised an eyebrow at him, "I'm fine."

Callum shook his head once, "I, I don't mean to push you, but I can tell somethings wrong. I mean, I can feel it. You're not alright."

At those words something darkened in Rayla's expression. A little sharply, she turned her head away from him with a small scowl on her face. She knew what he was referring to. The first step of their betrothal when they were children, how she had a connection to him and he had one to her. When she had first been there to do it, she hadn't been excited about it, but she wasn't dreading it either.

The days following, she had found maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have this connection. After all, the first step was designed to see if the betrotheds would have a good relationship. That ritual had proven they would be alright. As years passed the idea of someone knowing her or getting in her head freaked her out, so she shut him out. If she felt any of his emotions, she shut them away and if she worried her own emotions would leak through, she shut them down.

"I hadn't realized you still had it," Rayla remarked dryly.

Callum frowned, "I didn't know it was still there. It went away when I was thirteen. You left it."

Rayla didn't look at him, "I didn't and don't want ya poking around my head or feelin's. Though I guess it can't be helped. One way or another, it was bound to come up again."

"If you don't want it to stay there, can't you close it for good," Callum asked curiously.

Rayla looked at him incredulously, "If I did that, then the entire bind would fall apart. Do you know anythin' of this stuff? Taking apart the first step will doom every other part of the bind we have to do."

Callum shook his head, "No. I've hardly been told anything about it."

Rayla's shoulders sagged at his words, "I see. Well I s'pose ignorance is bliss for you."

"Not really," Callum said turning his gaze to the sky, "I know the king and queen trust me, but sometimes… it seems like they refuse to tell me these things for no reason. Not because I can't handle it, or maybe they do think that I can't handle it."

Rayla nodded, she understood that, "I get what ya mean. The only reason I know so much is because it is my culture and Ethari told me during my lessons."

"Ethari, oh the king of Lunaris," Callum said, remembering the name.

"Yeah," Rayla sighed heavily, "We aren't s'pposed to know a lot about it. Ethari thought it was wrong to leave me in the dark, so he told me… Guess the reason I shouldn't have known so then I wouldn't have shut you out."

Callum brought his gaze back to her, "You don't have to feel bad about that. We were just kids, no idea what we were doing then. If we had known, then we wouldn't have done it. We have to do this marriage for our nations. We shouldn't have to- I mean get why-"

Callum released a frustrated breath, but it only made Rayla chuckle. She understood what he was saying, even if he couldn't find the right words to describe it. Neither of them really signed up for this. To some extent they did, but it was different now that they were older. Arranged marriages weren't bad, neither of them saw that as the worst thing in the world, but typically in an arranged marriage it was a mutual agreement among every party. There were plenty of voices in their family that were only doing this for the sake of their nations, not the sake of each other.

"I get it, promise," Rayla said to him.

Callum let out a laugh, but didn't say anything to her. The rest of their night was spent this way, just sitting in silence waiting for something. The peace didn't las t that long thought. In the distance, Rayla picked up on the sound of horses galloping which meant one of two things. Either the guards were coming to tell them everything was okay and they could return to the castle or whoever had attacked was coming for them. Rayla stood up as she tried to see through the distance, but it was no use.

"Callum, Rayla, get inside," yelled Claudia from down below.

Rayla clenched her hands into fists. She was not a damsel and could help in whatever fight was coming there way. Before she had the chance to move, to say anything, Callum grabbed her forearm and pulled her back towards the skylight.

"What are you doin'," Rayla practically hissed at him.

"You are a capable warrior, but I am asking that you let Claudia and Soren handle this," Callum told her, his tone firm. "Please Rayla."

Whether he meant to or not, Rayla could almost feel his desperation. The begging feeling she had felt so many times before when she watched Runaan leave, when she watched her parents leave. There had been a time when she used to get excited when she could get a sense of her betrothed, until one day she decided she no longer wanted it there. Eventually it would come out, it would get stronger the closer they got to their wedding day.

Rayla considered since they were in close proximity of each other, the binds between them would continue to grow until Rayla and Callum bound themselves when the day inevitably came. However she didn't want to think about that now, she didn't want to think of it at all. What she wanted to know was why the past three times Rayla was prepared to go into a fight or potential fight, Callum was quick to try and stop her. She did not understand why he cared so much or why that desperate feeling he had was in his place.

"Why do you care whether or not I go off to fight," Rayla asked, yanking her arm away from him.

Callum blinked before answering, "I have already watched too many people I know storm off into battle when they didn't have to. If you really want to go, I can't stop you."

With a slightly angry look, Callum made his way inside the lodge to get his younger brother leaving Rayla to stand there watching as he made his way down. And for those few seconds that Rayla remained in her spot, she felt horrible aches on the backs of her hands. Though when she looked at them, she only saw smooth skin. Absently she rubbed them as the pain increased. An image flashed across her mind, gone as quickly as it appeared, but she managed to make out one thing. The injured hands she saw weren't own, they were Callums.

"It's Queen Sarai," called Soren, "It's safe to return!"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: It has been a couple days, so here's an update. Thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews, I appreciate them all! I hope everyone is staying safe and doing well. **

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: It's Only The Start For Us**

The journey back to the castle was significantly faster than the walk had been to the lodge, but despite the news that everyone was for the most part safe, the atmosphere didn't feel right. At least, to Rayla it didn't. Currently she was sitting on the roof of the carriage with Ezran, while Callum chose to sit inside. The castle was just in sight, soon enough they would be there and Rayla couldn't wait to get inside. She was anxious to see how Runaan was doing. The battle had left him badly injured, exactly how bad Rayla didn't know and the Queen refused to tell her.

It annoyed Rayla that the Queen was hiding things from her about her guardian, though only thing that was keeping her from arguing and giving the Queen a piece of her mind was Ethari. All his etiquette lessons about being in control even when your emotions were not was playing on repeat in her mind. So for his sake, she kept her mouth shout.

Thinking of Ethari made her stomach roll. How was she supposed to tell him what had happened if the others hadn't already sent a message home? News of their King being injured in Katolis would cause all sorts of protests and demands for their royals to return home. The blame would fall to the royals of Katolis. If this situation was not handled delicately, who knows what kind of fights could occur between the humans and elves.

"You okay Princess Rayla," Ezran asked breaking her out of her trance.

Rayla glanced at him, "I'm fine. Why?"

Ezran replied softly, "You had a really serious look on your face. Were you thinking about your dad?"

"He's not my-" Rayla cut herself off, she didn't feel like explaining her relationship with Runaan, "Yeah. I was thinking of him. Your mam- mother said that he was hurt bad."

Ezran gave her a sympathetic look, "I'm sure he'll be fine. He looks super tough and strong. I bet it took at least a hundred guys to get him down."

Rayla lightly chuckled, "I bet yer right Prince Ezran."

Ezran continued to smile before he launched into a story about how he and his mom were chased around the castle by the baker for stealing all the jelly tarts. It was a mildly entertaining story. The elf princess did her best to pay attention to him, but her mind was too far away and her emotions too unstable. She knew he was telling her this story to distract her, but there was nothing that could keep her mind off of worrying about Runaan. He wasn't her dad, she already had a father. Even if he and her mother were dead to her, she did still have them at one point until she didn't anymore.

"_I promise you Rayla," Runaan said, holding her tightly in his arms as she struggled to hold back her tears, "You will never be alone. I'm right beside you."_

_Rayla stared up at him, her expression as broken hearted as she felt. It wasn't in their culture to show emotions this way, but she was still so young and what had occured allowed the exception to be made. _

_Runaan hugged her tightly, "It's going to be alright."_

Rayla would have let the memory play out longer instead of pushing it away, but that ache in her hands returned. A silent hiss left her as she looked down at her hands which were unharmed. Absently, she began to rub them hoping to ease the phantom pain. The cause was nothing she had done. This wasn't hers, it was Callum's. Though she couldn't see him from where she was sitting, she could practically feel his presence as if he were sitting beside her. The feeling would soon fade, but not soon enough for her liking. This first part of the bond would only get more intense and more frequent.

Rayla didn't want anyone going through her mind or knowing what she didn't want them to know, she felt that there was nothing wrong with that. It made her feel better that she could keep some or most things to herself, but this would change all that. For the longest time she more or less had been able to ignore it. All she had to do was keep a mental block up and she would be fine, but she had known it wouldn't work forever and one day it would break. She just hadn't expected that after being with her betrothed for two days it would break so easily. Once the group arrived to the castle, it was time for the royals to get back to where they needed to be.

"Soren, Claudia. Please escort the princes back to their room, I will escort Princess Rayla to see King Runaan," the Queen said, her tone was set to business.

Prince Ezran frowned, "Wait, what about dad? Can't we go see him?"

The Queen glanced down at her son, "He's resting now. You will see him in the morning, for now you are to go back to your room while I bring the princess to her King."

"My Queen, if I may," Prince Callum said coming to stand beside Ezran, "Why don't I escort Princess Rayla to her guardian? You need to rest as well, I can take her in your place. If that's alright with her of course."

Callum looked to Rayla then, the question of it it was alright in his eyes. If Rayla was being honest, she would have preferred to go by herself or with one of the random guards who had met them here at the entrance to this castle. However she had a feeling she would either walk with her soon to be mother-in-law or with her soon to be husband. Despite the annoyance of their evergrowing ritual bond, she decided he would be the better option.

As politely as she could muster, she replied, "That is fine Prince Callum. If the Queen permits it, I have no objections."

The Queen thought for a moment, considering the good and bad of the situation. King Harrow was in his room being treated and part of her worried that once Callum had dropped off Rayla, he would seek out his step father. While she would be with Ezran to prevent him from going there, she wouldn't be able to keep tabs on Callum. Unless guards were to report back to her, which they should do considering her orders were to keep the princes away from their father into tomorrow. King Harrow and King Runaan both sustained serious injuries, she intended to explain as such to Princess Rayla on the walk over there. As she looked at her son and his betrothed, she knew there was no concrete reason for her to not allow him to be her escort that she could reveal.

"Very well," the Queen relented with a tense expression, her gaze to Callum, "Then you are report right back to your room. I will send a guard to fetch you."

Callum's gaze flickered to an indignant look before he schooled his features, he bowed slightly, "Yes ma'am. Is King Runaan in his chambers?"

The Queen nodded once, "He is. Princess Rayla, the injury he sustained is a brutal one and you need to be prepared for what you are to see."

Rayla straightened at those words, "Whatever has happened, I can handle it."

The Queen took a short breath, "In the battle, most of his left arm had been cut off."

All eyes widened at this news, none more than Rayla's pale purple eyes. Of all the things for the Queen to say, she hadn't been sure what she was expecting, but that wasn't it. The first thing to come to Rayla's mind was that Runaan was an archer, how was he supposed to be an archer with only one arm? He was a skilled sword fighter, so that would not be a concern, but his preferred weapon would be. The next thought Rayla had was of Tinker. What would he think? The second King of Lunaris had already been concerned enough with letting his husband and in his eyes, his daughter, go to the human kingdom to begin with. Now all his worries would have been founded on.

"Has this news been sent to Lunaris yet," Rayla asked the Queen, her eyes flickered to the moonshadow guards who watched in the wings.

The Queen answered, "Yes. One of your company has already left to tell the news of what has transpired here."

Rayla nodded once, "Thank you. Prince Callum, if you could lead the way. I need to see my King."

"Of course," Callum said and started walking, Rayla beside him.

Queen Sarai watched them go with a frown. Both the Kings had been injured, leaving them vulnerable incase of another attack and trying to undermine the betrothal in the works here. As Sarai watched her human son and his elf wife to be, she sent a prayer to the skies above that this union would truly work out. That the Elf Nations and Human Kingdoms could finally reach some place of peace, where a great future could begin to form.

The walk to King Runaan's chambers was a silent one. Callum wanted to offer Rayla some words of comfort, but he had a feeling she wanted things to be quiet. As they continued there walk, he noticed that she had started to rub the backs of her hands, perhaps out of nerves to see her father? Though Rayla didn't strike him as the anxious type, he knew better than anyone that anxiety wasn't something people usually wore on their sleeves. Besides, the situation was a trying one so it only made sense for her unease to show, yet that thought didn't feel right. From he had seen of Rayla, she seemed to be on the expressive side and struggled to hide it. It usually took her a moment to recover a slipped emotion, this could have been the same thing.

Rayla noticed him watching, her gaze was pointed, but her tone was soft as she spoke, "This is your fault you know."

Callum was more than surprised by that. Did she mean the attack here was his fault? Was she saying that this entire mess, that her father was hurt, was his fault? Had she gotten hurt and it had been his fault? The cut on her cheek she had gotten in the fight, but she hadn't said she was injured anywhere else.

"I should've been specific, I meant my hands," Rayla said with a wince on her face, his anxiety had crashed into her own, "I hadn't meant to make you anxious."

Callum took a steadying breath, "I, I sorry. What happened to your hands? How is it my fault?"

Rayla brought her gaze down to the hands at his side, "Did somethin' happen to yours?"

"No, why," Callum said quickly, stopping in his tracks.

Rayla had walked a bit further, so that she could stand in front of him, "Even without the bond starting to interfere more, I know yer lyin' right now. The back of my hands have been aching on and off since right before we left the lodge, after you said that stuff about not goin' off into battle."

Callum could only blink at the princess, with a bit of horror washing over him. The memory what happened to his hands wasn't the worst one he possessed, but it was a bad enough experience he preferred not to dwell on it. Considering that he had used his hands everyday, that did make it harder for him to not think of the past incident. For awhile now, Callum hadn't even seen the back of his hands and planned to hide them everyone.

There were moments when his finger less gloves would come off. During those times, he kept his hands behind his back or hidden in his jacket or pockets or anything he could find. To say the scars were embarrassing wasn't accurate. In fact, Callum was sure that if he had gotten them any other way, then maybe he would have shown the scars off proudly. All he felt about these scars was a deep sense of shame and likely he felt shame for the wrong reasons on top of that.

Callum looked away from the princess, "Close the bond then so you won't have to feel the aches or rub some ice over them when it happens."

"My hands aren't injured, the ache won't stop until I get some answers," Rayla told him.

Had it not been for her soft tone, it would have sounded more like a demand, but the way she said it made Callum think she was defeated. He had no idea how this bond stuff was supposed to work, Rayla didn't know that much more than he did, but she knew enough to get by. This wasn't a story Callum wanted to tell her, it was one he hoped he could avoid for years. If not for the fact that she was in some pain because of it, he wouldn't have answered her.

"Fine," Callum breathed out. He faced her with an almost blank stare and hardened gaze that Rayla found strange on his face. "When I was little, there was a battle happened nearby the capital city. It hadn't even been that serious, but my mother insisted on going and returned in a coma… The soldiers had captured the one responsible and in my anger, I attacked him while he was chained, but I stopped before things got too far… But he used my pause to attack me and injured my hands. That's the short version and the only version you get tonight."

Rayla had been a little taken off guard by his words, but as the ache in her hands began to fade, she gave him a single nod. The bond would likely bother her again with the pain in her hands, the short version wasn't the full truth and if this pain was going to leave her completely, Callum would have to tell her the full story in detail. It was one she wanted to know. Not just for curiosity, but as he spoke she could feel his pain about the incident, his anger and his fear. It was strong, still secondhand, but enough for her to want to take it away from him.

The two of them would be partners one day, they would share each other's burdens either by bringing them to each other or the bond forcing them out. Likely, the magic that was stirring between had a lesson to teach them through Callum's hands. As Rayla thought of the memory of before it started, she realized it had something to do with him and people he knew going off to fight. That's what had bothered him before, it had bothered him the past which lead to the injury she briefly told him of.

"Alright," Rayla said quietly, "Thanks for sharin'."

Callum didn't reply, he just walked past her and she slowly went after him. Perhaps she had come on a bit too strong and maybe she shouldn't have asked at all, but she knew that wasn't right. One way or another, the two of them were going to share some memories and phantom feelings. This was going to be the first of many and Rayla was not looking forward to the day he would start asking her about the things he felt or saw.

Not too much time passed before they arrived outside of Runaan's chambers and Rayla felt her nervousness grow. Now that she stood here, the ache in her hands was forgotten and she was painfully reminded that Runaan's arm had been removed in battle. It was not going to be a pretty sight. Growing up among skilled warriors who went off to fight, she was not unaccustomed to seeing men and women return injured and beaten down. However it had never Runaan to be hurt this badly.

It was weak of her not to walk right in, the two elf guards had greeted her, but she had remained silent and only stared at the closed doors. Runaan taught her better than this. Yet as she stood here outside his room, knowing he would lying in bed more injured than she had ever seen him, she was hesitant and afraid. A thought struck her as the guards hadn't opened the doors for her now that she stood there.

"Did Runaan tell you to keep me out," Rayla asked them, her tone sharp.

The two guards glanced at each other. The one on the right answered, "I apologize Princess Rayla, but he has. He does not wish for you to see him this way."

Rayla glanced down to the floor, her jaw clenched before she answered, "I'm sure. And if I ordered you out of my way, would ya let me pass?"

"We would have to," said the first guard.

Even though Runaan's order outranked her own, with him technically out of commission and Ethari still at home, her princess status changed to queen-in-waiting. There was only a minor difference between the two titles in Moonshadow culture, she couldn't say for the others. A king or queen-in-waiting meant that the royal had temporary control of their kingdom or only needed to be crowned. It was almost like a waiting period or emergency power in her culture, she never bothered to know if the same was said for others.

Rayla looked at the guards, her expression stern, "Then as queen-in-waiting, I demand you allow me inside to see him. He can be angry all he wants, but he does not get to hide from me."

The guards bowed once to show they understood.

Rayla turned around, "I'll see you later Prince Callum?"

However she found he had already left, she wasn't sure she felt relieved that he was gone or upset that he had left without saying goodbye. She shook the thoughts and feelings away and brought her attention back to the matter at hand. Steeling herself, she walked through the open doors and waited just at the edge of the room for him to acknowledge her presence.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: A posting kind of day. When the world gives me trouble, I write like crazy and one of the projects that got my attention was this and I'm pleased with how this chapter turned out. This whole bind thing between Rayla and Callum is about to take center stage, scratching the surface really for now before getting closer to see just how it works.**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: A Fine Line Between Justice and Revenge**

Rayla wasn't sure how long she stood there, it could have been seconds, minutes or hours for all she knew. Though she had feeling it was only a handful of moments and her anxiety about the situation had made time stretch on in her mind. The blanket was up to his chest, but his injured arm was not hidden underneath it. Instead it lay on top of a pillow, the bandaged wound around the stub where the rest of his left arm should have been. The blood wasn't seeping through the wound, however she could see very small spots of maroon blood.

Runaan had noticed she was standing there and waiting for his acknowledgement so that she could come forward to his side. Of course he knew that she would come to see him, that the guards would let her in as she was now queen-in-waiting due his grave injury. It bothered him to no end that she was now in that position, it meant more trouble for her and it also meant he would likely receive an earful from Ethari in the coming day or two depending on when a message was sent to him. Runaan could only imagine the uproar the people of Lunaris would have upon learning that their warrior of a king had lost his arm in battle while in the care and 'protection' of the humans.

The alliance between the races and the kingdoms on their own was tentative and fragile as is, this would not shake their relationship which would make the betrothal all the more imperative. Runaan turned his head to look at Rayla, her clothes were messy from the travels of the day and he noticed dried blood on her cheek. She had been hurt in a fight as well, but he was more than relieved to see it was a minor injury. He didn't know what he would have done if she had more severely hurt or if the attackers had gotten their hands on her. It would not been pretty for anyone of them involved. With his eyes on her, she decided that was acknowledgement enough and made her way to stand on his injured side.

"I'm glad to see you are unharmed queen-in-waiting," he said to her with a knowing look.

Rayla managed to hide her wince at his words, "I'm glad yer alive. How are you feeling?"

Runaan ignored your question, "You need to tend to the cut on your face. It's not likely to get infected, but you can never be to careful."

"Please don't avoid my questions," Rayla said, her tone more pleading than upset.

Whenever he had done so in the past, her immediate response would be to get angry and he would scold her for not having control of her emotions. This was different. While he wouldn't say she looked frightened, she didn't look particularly at ease about the situation and he could understand why. His arm was gone after all, she was likely still processing this development the same way he was still processing it.

"I'm feeling better," he told her honestly, "The healers have been helpful, their medicine has numbed the pain. I imagine I won't be able to do much in the coming days."

Rayla nodded, her eyes met his and he noticed she seemed more relaxed than before, "Good. Rest is what you need."

Runaan didn't argue with her on that. As much as he could work through other injuries, this one would prove to be a more of a challenge that he hoped he could be prepared for. Slowly, he sat up and nodded his to the side, a gesture for her to sit down. Rayla hesitated for a moment, but she did sit down on the spot. Satisfied, Runaan turned away from her to grab a cloth and a small bottle of cream.

"Let me take care of that cut," Runaan said softly as he set the items down on his lap.

Rayla frowned, she touched, "No, it's alright. Really, I can do it."

Runaan made a face at her, "Please Rayla, let me do this."

Rayla sat there unsure of what she should say to that. Being independent and doing things on your own was one of the core things about moonshadow elves. From early ages, it was expected you learn to do most tasks on your own without the help of others and not being very dependent. The only being dependent was on the more acceptable side was when someone serious ill and injured, when someone had died. Otherwise, you did things on your own and without help unless absolutely necessary.

There were other exceptions of course, but dealt with officers working with officers, the king with his advisors or things like that. Not so much in taking care of another wounds unless it was dire. Rayla could recall when she was a child and had scraped her knees and hands after falling from a tree. Ethari had carried her to the healer to get her injuries looked at, though Runaan had been displeased. Once Rayla's hands had been cared for, Runaan told her to clean up her knees herself much to the annoyance of Ethari.

An argument had broken out between the pair of them, it was short and quickly ended due to Rayla being present. Rayla did as he asked and bandaged her own wounds, while Runaan had given her a nod of approval Ethari looked upset. It was just their culture to be this way. The fact that Runaan now wanted to care for her very sligh injury despite his own meant a few things to Rayla, one of them being that he was likely suffocating under his 'failure'.

Rayla nodded once, she said nothing to him. Runaan set to work with his right arm, now his only arm. He got the cloth wet with some clean water, it him a few moments to get the cap off and Rayla didn't ask to help him with it knowing he needed to do it on his own. Once he got it, he wiped the blood of her face. It irritated the wound a little which mean some more blood would make an appearance soon.

"Who attacked you," Rayla asked softly as Runaan set the cloth down.

He glanced at her, "None of your concern."

Rayla scrunched her brow, "It is my concern. They attacked the king of Lunaris."

Runaan put the medicine on her cut as he spoke, "The attackers are not a problem, the only thing you need to focus on is the reason we came here."

"The attack happened because of this betrothal, didn't it," Rayla asked, a knowing look on her face.

"Many people, elf and human alike, do not believe peace can be reached," Runaan said as he placed the bandage on her cheek, "Sometimes I do not believe myself. However I know there are no other options except through a union of this magnitude."

Rayla glanced away from him, her eyes looked out the window with a dejected expression, "Do you think more people will attack?"

She knew the answer, but she needed to hear him say it, "I do. That is not something can be avoided."

"I suppose not," Rayla replied softly, she looked at Runaan then, "I am sorry for this."

Runaan shook his head, "You have no reason to apologize for my injury or the attack. We are no strangers to this kind of danger. The fault is mine for-"

Rayla leaned forward, startling him, "Don't you dare take blame for any of this. The only one to blame is the one who hurt you. I will make them pay. Justice will not be denied."

Runaan stared at Rayla for a moment, he looked torn on what to say. After a few moments of tense silence, he told her in a pained voice, "So long as it is justice. Not revenge."

Rayla didn't say anything at those words. Her only response was to look slightly away from him. Revenge was not the way of their people, it was generally frowned upon to take revenge. However growing up Rayla never truly did understand the difference between justice and revenge. Both of them required that a wrong had been done and that the person responsible would pay for that wrongdoing. Over the years she could understand why the two were different, it usually came down to the reasoning and intentions, but even now she still saw them as more alike than different. For Runaan she would do her best to ensure there was justice, but she couldn't promise that it would be without revenge. The back of her hands began to ache more.

* * *

Callum had made it out to the gardens before the guard his mother sent could retrieve him. While he was not a rebellious child, actually he almost never got into any trouble, he did have moments where he didn't follow what his parents asked of him. This was one of those times. Part of him wanted to see his step father, but the other part of him that was stronger knew it likely wasn't a good idea.

On his walk around hiding from anyone who might report him to the Queen, he heard whispers that King Harrow was in a coma. Even if he did make it to his step father's chambers, all he would see would be the king in a sleep-like state that he may not wake up from. It made him think of the days and weeks that his mother had been in a coma. How she looked as if she were just sleeping, but in reality it was so much worse than that. The chance that she would never wake up. That one day, the rise and fall of her chest would just stop. The same thing was now happening to King Harrow.

It made Callum angry and as he continued his walk, the ache in the back of his hands grew stronger. The conversation he had with Rayla hadn't been a pleasant one. Maybe it was wrong to be so upset with her considering the state her guardian was in, it wasn't even her fault that the ache had reached her, but he didn't want her to know. He had told her the short version to get her off his back and so that the ache would stop. Yet she didn't think it would be enough and he was starting to feel the same.

She'd hardly been here two days and already his life looked completely different than it had before. Again, it wasn't her fault, none of this was her fault, but the childish part of him felt that if she hadn't come then none of this would have happened. There was the chance the attack could have still occurred, he truly didn't know and going of the what-if's would do nothing to help him to anyone.

Callum released a heavy sigh as he looked up to the starry sky, his thoughts focused on his step father and hoping that the higher powers above would spare him. Ezran and his mom still needed Harrow, the kingdom still need him. In some ways, Callum knew he still needed Harrow. While Harrow may not have been his birth father, Harrow had tried to be there for him in the way only father's could and do so carefully. He allowed Callum to take the lead on their relationship so as to not overstep and it made Callum more grateful to have him.

Callum stopped walking as the burning sensation and pressure in his forehead became too much for him to ignore. Salty tears slipped down his cheeks onto his lips as he thought of what would happen if Harrow didn't wake up. He would no longer have a father figure, Ezran would lose his dad, his mother would lose her second husband, the kingdom would lose their king. It made his chest ache. A hand rested on his shoulder, he would have jumped in surprise if he hadn't recognized the hand. It was his mother's.

"Callum," she said softly, lightly tugging his shoulder.

Callum turned to face her, his teary eyes made her chest ache, "What if he doesn't make it?"

"Harrow is strong, one of the strongest people I know," Sarai told him, placing her other hand on his shoulder, "Though I cannot say for her certain he will make it, I know that he will fight with everything he has to return to you and your brother."

Callum lowered his head, unable to say anything in response. It may not matter how hard the King fought, there was always the chance he wouldn't be strong enough to pull through and that's what hurt the most. Queen Sarai pulled Callum into her arms then, unable to offer him any words that might ease his worries and fears, she could hardly ease her own at this point.

The attack on the castle had been well coordinated. The damage done. Two kings had been badly wounded, the point had been driven home. It didn't take a genius to know that this attack was in response to the betrothal of the human and elf nations. People far and wide were not pleased with it, many still wanted to fight instead of support this union. While all the human kingdoms leadership along with the elf leaderships had shown their support, it did not mean all of their subjects were obligated to follow.

Queen Sarai released a heavy breath, her hands absently ran through Callum's hair. It was likely more attacks such as these would come through, she hated to think of her son the target of them. The attackers from today had been questioned once, but their objective had yet to be determined. If they intended to take out Callum and Rayla, of if their target had been the Kings. The answer likely wouldn't bring Sarai any comfort, either way people were hurt.

Callum pulled away and reluctantly she let him go. He didn't say anything, but she knew by the look in his eyes that he wanted to be left alone to his thoughts. While she would have preferred to be with him, she knew he would be under the protection of the nearby guards. Not saying anything, she just nodded to show she understood. Callum returned her nod before walking away, heading to the gardens where he often went to clear his mind.

* * *

The next morning, the atmosphere was tense and uneasy. The King of Katolis had yet to stir from his sleep, but the healers saw no decline in his condition which brought some relief to the castle and the kingdom. Callum and Ezran were sitting in the king's chambers, at the edge of bed. As far as either of them were concerned, it did look as if Harrow was just asleep, but they both knew otherwise.

Ezran had been too young to remember the days and weeks that his mother had been in a similar state, but for Callum it was still very fresh. Though he supposed he should be grateful that she had recovered, that if the price to pay for her still being here were some bad memories of being in this state then it was worth it. It could have even made him more prepared to see King Harrow in the same state, but he felt unprepared and filled with dread. Queen Sarai had been lucky, more than lucky, to survive. There was a chance that King Harrow could be just as lucky, but he knew there were no gaurantees.

Ezran asked softly, "Do you think dad's dreaming?"

Callum looked at his brother, "I'm not sure. It's possible. Mom said she had dreams before."

"I hope dad's having a good dream," Ezran said, he smiled, "Maybe he's at the winter lodge drinking hot chocolate with a snow man."

Callum let out a chuckle, "Yeah. I bet he's having a good time."

Callum tried to sound convincing, but he truly didn't believe those words. For his mom, she hadn't seen anything or had any dreams, only darkness. Sometimes she could hear people, but it wasn't often and she couldn't always tell what they were saying. Though Callum hoped that King Harrow was having pleasant dreams, for Ezran's sake at least.

"Have you seen Princess Rayla," Ezran asked next, this time looking up at his brother.

Callum shook his head, "No, I think she's still with King Runaan."

Ezran had a thoughtful expression before saying, "Do you think she would be okay if we went to them? Breakfast hasn't been brought out yet, we could bring it to them."

Queen Sarai smiled from her spot by the doors, "I think that's a wonderful idea Ezran. Why don't you head down to the kitchens while Callum goes to check on the princess?"

Ezran nodded, a genuine smile on his face. Carrying Bait, the young prince quickly made his way out of the room and down to the kitchens. Callum was a bit slower moving away from his stepfather's bed over to the door where his mother stood. It wasn't a bad idea to bring them breakfast, but Callum was nervous. Last night, he felt as if he was being unfair to her and wasn't sure if she would be upset with him. Both of them were going through a lot right now, so it was understandable that they not act the way they usually would.

Yet Callum had to wonder how would they usually act together? He'd only known her two days, maybe three at this point. How did she act on a day to day basis? It was a question he couldn't answer now, likely wouldn't be able to answer for a while. Callum arrived to King Runaan's chambers where two elf guards and a human guard stood at attention.

Standing straight, he spoke in a formal tone, "Is Princess Rayla inside? I wanted to ask if she thought it would alright if myself and Prince Ezran brought her and the king breakfast."

The elf guard on the right answered by opening the door just a crack and speaking in a language Callum didn't know. It just occurred to him that elves would have a different language of their own, even so he felt that made sense and wondered why he hadn't considered it before. Or perhaps he had and just didn't remember due to everything else going on.

The sound of Rayla's voice filled his ears, she was speaking in what he guessed was her native tongue and was almost mesmerized by the sound. It was melodic, gentle and airy. A moment later, Rayla appeared before him. Her hair was tied back in a loose braid that hung over her shoulder, she wore a teal free flowing dress that could have been sleepwear, though Callum wasn't sure. It was a more casual attire. He also took note of the bandage on her cheek.

"Good morning princess Rayla," Callum said with a slight bow.

Though she raised an eyebrow at him, she gave a light dip of her head in acknowledge. There was a strange look on her face that Callum couldn't decipher and he was too nervous to ask her given they had an audience.

"Thank you for the offer of breakfast," Rayla said, her expression far off, "Do you and Prince Ezran intend to bring it here?"

"Prince Ezran is getting it now, I was sent ahead to make sure it was alright," Callum explained to her, "How is the king doing?"

Rayla's eyes shimmered for a moment, "He is alright, in some pain. How is King Harrow? I am sorry to hear he is in a coma."

Callum offered her a small smile, "No decline in his condition, the healers believe he is stable."

Rayla looked relieved, "I'm glad to hear it."

A silence settled over the two of them, neither knowing what to say next. Callum was unsure of where the conversation should go next, whether or not he should leave and check on the food, or remain here with Rayla. He could feel there was something wrong, not with her per se, but off in her demeanor and presence. On the one hand, he wanted to chalk it up to the circumstances and on the other, he could feel it was something else. This might have had to do with the bond they shared, that she mentioned would start to flare up more and more as time went on. Would the more stressful circumstances cause it to make more of an appearance? Based on how little Callum knew of the bond, he could only assume it was possible. Then Rayla winced.

"Are you alright," Callum asked her, concern in his eyes.

She still had a grimace on her face as she replied, "I'm fine."

Callum frowned at her, his eyes flickered to her hand that rested on the door to see it slightly twitching. Was the phantom ache he had still transferring to her? Was that what was causing her pain?

"Your hands," he started, eyes holding her own.

"Are fine," Rayla told him, but she still looked pained.

Callum felt his own hands ache, he looked down at them for a moment in confusion and concern. This had to be the work of their bond, he just knew it. Rayla had mentioned that in order for the ache to leave her, she needed to know what happened and he guessed the abridged version wasn't enough.

"Why do you get the ache," Callum questioned, eyes curious and determined.

Rayla answered quietly, "The magic bindin' us wants me to know what happened. I can't be sure why, but there's a reason. The stuff that will be forced out in the open is meant for us to gain an understanding and use it in the future. Whatever happened to you in the past, is likely a warning."

Callum frowned at this, "A warning? But what could be warning-"

Callum stopped as a thought struck him. He had gotten hurt after his mother had been attacked, when he had tried to seek out revenge. Perhaps the ache was returning because now that Rayla's father had been injured, she was seeking the same thing and this was the bonds way of warning her not to follow that path.

"Do you want revenge on the attackers," Callum asked her.

Rayla glanced away, "I want justice."

That was only partially true, Callum pressed on, "That must be it. The ache is warning you not to follow through with revenge. I got hurt seeking revenge, that must be it."

Rayla grimaced as she brought her hands together, but said nothing in response. Since Runaan had said the word revenge, the pain in her hands had grown. She was starting think that Callum's words were right, that this was a warning for her not to seek revenge. Yet still it was what she wanted, what she desired. This justice could not be denied. Callum took her hands into his own and the world around them vanished. The guards, the stone halls, they fizzled out of sight until it was placed with a hazy hallway without any guards and the sound of the angry cries of a young boy Callum recognized as his own voice from years before.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: As always, thank you all for the support on this story. I hope you are having a nice day wherever you are and staying safe. Enjoy this Rayllum heavy chapter, I had a lot of fun working on it. **

**I don't think this chapter needs a trigger warning, but I'm putting one just in case. Later in the chapter there is a brief description of Callum's scars and a section where those scars are the focus point because of what Rayla does. It's pretty vague, but just in case for anyone who gets uneasy about that stuff it is down towards the end.**

**Oh and a different note, I always want to reply to reviews and then always forget, so you might get a PM from me randomly in response to a review. Okay, enough chatter, on with the show :)**

**Summary:** **The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: I'm Here To Stand With You 1/2**

Rayla watched as the blood seemed to drain completely out of Callum's face, but she knew it wasn't because of the change of scenery around them. The cries of that boy sounded too similar to his own voice, if only a bit higher pitched. This was a memory, his memory and the bond intended for him to relive it, for Rayla to see it.

Guilt knotted in her stomach, that felt like more than an invasion of privacy and she didn't want to think about how awful it was going to feel if he was pulled into a memory of her own. Their minds were their own, what happened in the past was their own, but now it was being brought to the forefront of their minds, being shown just in front of their eyes.

"What is this," Callum asked her, his green eyes wide.

Rayla glanced around, her tone soft, "It must be the bind trying to show us somethin' in yer memory I imagine."

Callum let out a shuddering breath, his heart racing in his chest and his hand tightening around her own without realizing it. Fear was something Callum was more than used to. It seemed he spent most of his life afraid, whether it was afraid of failure, afraid of battles, afraid of loss. The feeling almost never left him, causing his anxiety to worsen and his mind to spin out of control.

If the bind had brought him back here to a day when his fear and anger got the better of him, to the day that brought him the most shame, he wanted to curse the bind. This wasn't something he wanted to share, it wasn't something he wanted Rayla to see. He understood why the bind had brought it up, why it was showing her this, because she wanted revenge on the one who hurt someone she loved. Callum knew all about that feeling and this memory served as a remind about why revenge wasn't the answer. But why did she have to see it? Wasn't him telling her enough?

"I don't know how to get out of this," Rayla said to him defeatedly, "I know you don't want to share this, so we-"

"It doesn't matter what I want. The bond between us wants you to see this so that you see why revenge isn't the answer," Callum told her, his voice was colder than normal and pained.

Rayla blinked at him, "Callum. I don't want to see it if you don't want to show me. That isn't fair to you."

"Maybe not," Callum admitted with a frown, "But I have a feeling even if we get out of this and you don't see what happened, then the bond could bring us right back."

Rayla didn't say anything in response. She didn't know if that was how this worked, frankly she hardly knew anything about this bind between them. However she knew that Callum had a point. Perhaps the only way out of this was to let the memory play through.

"I'm so sorry," Rayla said, letting her guilt flood chest.

Callum offered her a weak smile, his eyes still pained, "It's not your fault… Come on, the sooner you see this, the sooner we can go."

Rayla nodded silently. Hand in hand, the royals made their way down the hallway in the direction of young Callum's cries. It took a few moments, but they spotted him in the hallway just outside the king and queen's chambers. As they drew closer, Rayla took note of how small he was. She had to guess he was no older than six. Dressed in the same blue uniform shirt he had worn when she met him, the accents golde. Young Callum stared at his feets, tears streaming down his cheeks and the sight of him broke Rayla's heat. There was so much anguish on his face, he was so young.

"This was me after I learned my mother was in a coma," Callum told her, his eyes focused on his younger self with a strained expression, "I was so… so hurt and scared and angry."

As Calllum said those words, Rayla could see it all on the memory's face. His bright green eyes turned dark, his little hands clenched tightly into fists. Young Callum jumped to his feet, he took off running down the hall. To make sure they didn't lose him, Callum ran after him tugging Rayla along with him. He knew exactly how this memory would play out, he knew everything that was about to happen and as he thought about it, a nauseous feeling settled into his stomach. This was one of the worst days of his life. However he wasn't that ashamed for how he acted, the shame he felt was more on the part that he failed in his attack and got hurt.

Callum and Rayla skidded to a stop when they made it to the door where Callum had rushed inside to. It was one of Viren's chambers where all his magic objects were placed. There had been a number of times he had brought Callum inside her when the boy showed an interest in magic. Being in the chamber made both Rayla and Callum sick, for different reasons. To Rayla the human magic was death, to Callum it was different. In the corner of the room was young Callum, searching through the various items for what he needed. He'd watched Viren and Claudia do magic all the time, he would do something as well, to make the one who hurt his mom pay.

"I didn't know you knew human magic," Rayla said uneasily, her eyes wary as she looked at him.

Callum didn't look at her, "I don't know it and didn't know it then. Sure I'd taken an interest in magic, could even pull off a spell or two, but… soon after this incident when my mother woke up, she forbid me from practicing."

That eased Rayla's nerves. Human magic was dark, it was death and all it did was take from pure magic, twist it into something horrible. It brought relief to her that Callum wasn't using dark magic, though she did wonder how long would that last. If one day he decided to start practicng, she wouldn't be able to stand by in silence and let him do it. However her thoughts were interrupted by young Callum who let out a cry of frustration.

"What are you doin'," Rayla asked him softly.

"You'll see," Callum said with a heavy breath, his hand gripped hers tighter, "I'm not a violent person, I can barely fight with my hands or a weapon. But on this day… I wanted nothing more than for the one who hurt my mom, to hurt… So I looked for anything I could use that might cause pain."

Young Callum picked up a jar with something Rayla couldn't see. The boy pulled whatever it was out and crushed it in his hands, orange liquid went between his fingers and on the back of his hands. Anger in his eyes, the young boy stalked past Callum and Rayla, heading towards the cell where the attackers were being kept. Rayla looked at Callum, to get a reading on how he was doing, but his face gave away nothing. When she lightly probed at the bond between them, he snapped his gaze to meet her own in a sharp movement that made Rayla's neck hurt. There was a moment of anger in his eyes when he faced her, but it quickly faded. He was afraid, afraid of her reaction, afraid to see this day again, afraid of what it meant.

Not saying anything more, Callum walked away still holding Rayla's hand. She wasn't sure he could let go of her even if he wanted to, not that Rayla really minded. After all, she thought their hands fit well together despite him having five fingers and her only four. It worked just the same though. The two of them walked just behind young Callum, drops of orange liquid had fallen behind him and when they hit the ground, they sparked for a moment then vanished. That told Rayla all she needed to know.

"You were going to burn him," Rayla whispered softly, her eyes shined.

Callum didn't look at her, his gaze on the floor, "I'm ashamed to say yes. I can't really justify it, only that I was a stupid angry kid."

Rayla tugged at Callum, stopping their walk and forcing him to look at her. The guilt was clear on his face, in the bond, along with some anger and shame. It was a little suffocating to Rayla if she was being honest, but that didn't matter. This wasn't a good thing, what he wanted to do, but Rayla knew she wasn't any better and didn't have any judgement for him. He wasn't just a stupid kid then, he was a child in pain because someone he loved might never return.

"You were a hurt child," Rayla said sternly, her eyes held his gaze, "You went about it the wrong way, but that's not really anyone's fault. Being angry and hurt and afraid will make anyone do things they wouldn't normally do. This was one of those times."

Callum didn't say anything to that, but he seemed to accept her words. In silence they continued their walk after young Callum. When they arrived to where he stood, they waited and watched. Young Callum extended both his small hands towards the man responsible for his mother's injuries, he said some words Rayla didn't understand when sparks appeared around his hands. The orange liquid slipped away from his hands, it reached the chained man and it seeped into his exposed skin, it broke his chains so that he could fall to the floor in pain.

Callum's grip on her hand tightened again, she squeezed it back just as hard to remind him he wasn't alone right now, to remind him that she was here with him. The man cried out for a few seconds in pain from whatever young Callum was doing and then it was over. Young Callum broke the spell, his young face horrified by what he had done. However in his stopping, the man was no longer in pain or bound by chains which meant he could escape. He should have escaped, but instead of doing that, he attacked the young boy.

Rayla's eyes widened in shock as the man, who's appearance was distorted by the memory, swung the broken chains at young Callum. She moved forward, to protect him, but the chains went right through her. Young Callum cried out in pain, the chains wrapped around his hands and the man pulled the boy down. In a flash, gaurds appeared in the cell at the prince's cry and apprehended the prisoner and got young Callum out of there.

Rayla watched as King Harrow appeared just outside the cell door, taking a sobbing Callum from the guard. She just barely caught sight of the red liquid around his small hands as the King ran out of sight. Callum had focused on the prisoner, as they re chained him to the wall. When Rayla looked back at the man, she found his appearance was no longer distorted and she saw he was an elf, a moonshadow elf to be precise. The memory snapped away from them then.

* * *

Callum and Rayla looked around, a bit frantic, hearts pounding, to see they were a few paces away from where Runaan's chambers were. Once they both had reoriented themselves with the world around them, were they able to breathe easily. Without saying anything, Rayla wrapped her arms around Callum's neck and holding him tightly in her arms. He hesitantly returned the hug with his arms wrapping around her waist.

Callum didn't deserve that. He was a good person, she could feel it in her core that he was good, but had just made a bad decision. This didn't change how she saw him, but she now understood what the bond wanted to tell her about revenge. It only got you hurt in the end and wouldn't change what happened. However she didn't want this to be about her, she focused on Callum who was shaking her arms. She imagined having to see that, to relive that day, was less than pleasant for him.

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Rayla told him sincerely, "And I'm sorry for bringing that up."

Callum swallowed thickly before he spoke, "Not your fault. But thank you."

Rayla pulled away from Callum, to get a look at her betrothed. Before her stood a teenage boy who had just had to relive a traumatic memory, because of her. That guilt hit her once more. His green eyes held her gaze for a moment, he was uncertain of what to do now or what to say to her next. Although he was relieved she wasn't judging him for his actions, that she wasn't angry with him for he'd tried to do, that she still looked at him like he was someone she could trust, he didn't feel better. That wasn't something he wanted her to know, let alone actually see. But it happened and now she knew it all. Rayla lowered her hands from his shoulders, he expected she would bring them back to her sides, but instead she held both his gloved hands.

"I know me tellin' you not to carry these scars as shame isn't helpful," Rayla said staring at his hands in her own, "But I want you to know, that I don't see 'em that way. For whatever that is worth."

Callum frowned, "See them in what way?"

Rayla lifted her head to look at him, her violet eyes met his own and for a moment Callum was caught off guard by the intensity in them. In his artworks he had always been fascinated with eyes, because they could carry so much emotion in them. It was hard for him to capture emotions in eyes, but when he was able to capture or bring an emotion in them, he was always excited. As he looked into Rayla's eyes, he found sincerity, he found resolve, he found care snd understanding in them. The look she was giving him now, it was one he knew he would likely never forget. When they inevitably parted ways, he would draw this look she was giving him.

"For my people, scars received in battle are honored. These scars that you hide, they are not shameful," Rayla told him earnestly, she swallowed before continuing, "I know you feel shame for that day, not because of what you almost did, but because you got hurt. You think it makes you weak, that this, that these scars are a reminder of that weakness." Callum's eyes widened in surprise that she knew, but he didn't say anything as she spoke on. "These scars you carry, I want you to know that I will never see them that way. I think they are the scars of a young boy who was angry, who wanted justice to be served."

Callum frowned, "Wasn't the point of that to show you it wasn't justice?"

Rayla let a wry smile form on her face, "There's a thin between revenge and justice, one not many acknowledge. Your intentions were about justice, your actions were revenge. My intention was revenge, I more or less get that now."

"Will you still seek revenge," Callum asked her softly.

Rayla shook her head, "I won't, for you… I know you said that it was a human custom for you to kiss my hand the other day, might I do an elf custom to you?"

Callum's brow quirked up at that, but silently he nodded, curious to see what she would do.

Rayla let go of one his hands and walked away, pulling him along down the hallway until the made it the window on the other end. Once there, Rayla gestured for him to sit on the sill with her which he did. Curiosity filled Callum as they sat there in silence. The bond didn't have to tell him that Rayla was nervous about showing him this custom, he could see by the look on her face and the shaking of her left leg.

"Gloves on," Rayla said, it took Callum a moment to process what she was asking.

Callum swallowed again, "I, you want to take them off?"

Rayla nodded once, "Yes, but if that is too far, I will not. The custom works the same."

Callum brought his gaze back to his gloved hands, wondering what he should do. The scars were a source of shame for him, they were something he always tried to hide, something he wanted to keep hidden no matter what. Yet as he thought it over, he didn't feel that with Rayla. This could have been the bond between them making him feel more comfortable with her enough to take off his gloves, or because she knew how he got them or just because he was beginning to trust her in a different way than expected. For several moments of silence, Callum sat there staring at his hands. He made a move to take them off, but her hand stopped him.

"You don't have to," Rayla assured him, "I swear it. Please, don't feel like you have to do this because I'm asking."

Callum held her gaze for a moment, then said, "It's okay. You know how I got them, you saw it. Besides, I trust you."

Rayla studied him, after a second she nodded, "Okay then. Please stop me if you change your mind."

"I will," Callum told her.

Rayla took a breath. Her head tilted down to look at Callum's gloved hands, she brought his right one into her own and carefully removed the glove. The palm of his hand was smooth, gentle, a sharp contrast to the back which had three deep scars in it with little scratched ones around. With one hand over the palm and the other over the scars, Rayla cupped it and brought it up to her mouth. She closed her eyes as she whispered something that Callum couldn't make out, but a moment later he felt a cool touch brush along his scars. It was surprised him at first, his anxiety shot forward, but then it faded as reassuring waves seemed to come from Rayla.

After a few more seconds, she set his hand down on his lap and repeated the process with his other hand. Callum watched in intrigue with what she was doing and wondered just what this custom meant to her people. When Rayla finished with his other hand, she set it down on his lap, the palms down and backs up. Her hands rested on top of them. They felt cool.

"It's an acknowledgement we do," Rayla explained to him gently, "When a warrior returns with a scar they feel they do not deserve or are guilty of, someone close to them will do this. We let out a piece of magic into the scars, a cool touch to remind the warrior that these scars not shame. That the people close to them do not see them as such. That they are a piece of you, a memory of what you have fought through. Touch them."

Callum tilted his head to the side in confusion at that, but he did as she asked once she removed her hands from his own. It had been a long time since he had last touched his scars on purpose. Since his fingers brushed against them when he pulled off his gloves when he wasn't being careful, but that was always accidental. This was intentional.

He brought his hands together, let his fingers press on his scars when he felt it. That cool reassuring touch from Rayla filled him again, along with feelings of comfort, calm, protection. Every other time he brushed on these scars, he was just reminded of the shame, of the anger, of the fear he had felt that day. Now as his fingers went over the ridges, over the uneven skin, he didn't feel any of that. The feelings he got were gentle, reassuring, kind. It felt like he was being reminded that these scars weren't his shame. A complete opposite to what he always associated them with.

"Woah," Callum said in surprise as he stared at her, "How? I mean, what?"

Rayla offered him a soft smile, "It is not my place to tell you what those scars mean, I know that. But what I can do, what this custom of ours does, is show you that someone close to you wants to remind you that these scars are not just shame... Some of my magic is in those scars now. When you touch them, you feel what I felt upon learning about it. It takes a few hours to settle in and eventually it will fade away if you wish it… If you don't want it to stay I can remove-"

"No," Callum said sharply, he back tracked, "I mean no thank you. I-I appreciate this. I've never been able to feel the scars without feeling angry or ashamed. Thank you for this."

Rayla looked relieved as she let out a laugh, "Glad you like it. I was worried there that maybe it was too much."

Callum shook his head, "No. It's the kindest gesture I think anyone's ever done for me."

Rayla opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by the sound of footsteps coming towards them. It registered to Callum a moment later. The two of them looked to the side to see Queen Sarai making her way over to them, her expression not unkind, but there seemed to be a heaviness around her. Callum and Rayla got onto their feet to greet her, Callum slipped his gloves back on.

"Prince Callum, Princess Rayla," the Queen greeted them each with a nod, "I need you two to report to the throne room in one hour."

Callum asked curious, "What for?"

The Queen took a moment to reply, "You'll find out when you get there. I fear some troubling times are ahead of us."

Rayla and Callum exchanged a look. Troubling times was a code used among the two families to mean something much deeper than trivial matters or some obstacles. It meant growing war.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So this chapter is being posted early because Rayllum fan's reviews made me smile a lot****. Since there are six reviews (6 is my favorite number) and they sounded really excited for the next chapter, I buckled down and finished this one. **

**As always, thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews. The support means so much to me! This is going to be an interesting chapter because it brings out something I've been wanting to play with since I first thought of this story. A minor explanation is at the bottom of the chapter. In the meantime, enjoy the show :)**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The Future Comess Sooner Than You Think**

To say the Elf nations and human kingdoms were furious by the attacks on their leaders was an understatement. A full day had passed since the attacks, the news spread quickly of the injuries both kings had sustained in battle. The elf nations were blaming the human kingdoms, claiming it was a set up, that they planned this.

The human kingdoms blamed the elf nations, saying that they were traitors and only came to hurt their monarchs. No one was happy about this. If tensions rose too highly, the war that every kingdom whispered about could come to fruition. That was something no one truly wanted to happen. If war was to become more real possibility, it meant moving up something that might unite the people.

Rayla stood beside Callum in the hall, wearing a shimmering indigo dress while Callum wore a dark blue over coat and white shirt underneath with silver accents. They were both dressed in their nicest attire that was meant to be worn at the banquet in the coming days. A banquet that had been cancelled due to the attack. The sun was beginning to set in the sky, once it touched the horizon, the betrothed royals would address the crowd below. A crowd of the humans of Katolis and the elves of Lunaris. When Queen Sarai had to come then that morning, she informed them of the plan that would be put under way. Rayla was Queen-in-waiting now, she would need to make a declaration to her people as well as the human people. As this happened in Callum's kingdom, he would need to stand beside her and address the elves.

"_Tell King Ethari to bring my people to the boarder," Rayla said, she looked at Callum, "We need to address both of our people tonight. When the sun sets and the moon rises."_

Rayla's first act had been to call her people to the middle grounds that both separated and connected Katolis from Lunaris. Both of their people would honor their wounded Kong's and recognized the union between their heirs. The Queen of Katolis had wanted to protest such a thing, but even she understood the importance of the message it would send. To have the two royals that would be uniting Lunaris and Katolis, standing together in this wake of uncertainty, it would be a reminder of what was going on. The kingdoms were trying to find a way to peace. If their rulers children, if their nations heirs, could stand together, it would show that the call for war was a disgrace to the royals, to their treaty, to their growing unions.

And so the Queen brought Rayla to her advisors and guards, who sent the message to Ethari and returned by midday with his reply. A large crowd had formed on either side of the boarder which separated the two nations, with the royals located at the center tower on the edge. Where the land met the sea. The balcony may have looked over the gaping chasm, but it was Rayla who called on some of her Earthblood elf allies who bridge part of the boarder. It allowed both crowds to be present before their heirs, beside each other. Though some distance was present between the sides for safety. Each side was wary of the other and that would not go away in a night, especially given the recent events.

Rayla tugged at the teal gloves, she hated gloves. Arm sleeves she liked, but having her hands covered made her feel restricted in her movements. Though for a brief moment she was glad to have them so that she could fidget with something besides the small knife she had hidden. Public speaking had never been her strong suit, addressing the crowds and her people always left her uneasy. Throw her in a battle and she would be fine, but have her give a speech to a restless crowd, that rattled her.

Callum was uneasy about it as well, but she was surprised to see he was calmer on the matter. However she did remind herself that Callum had told her about his 'inability' to fight or handle those kind of situations, the other part of being a prince however he seemed to have down. The pair of them would certainly make quite a pair.

"You'll do great you know," Callum said, breaking their silence.

Rayla lifted her eyes up, a frown on her face, "Sorry?"

Callum offered her a small smile, "You seem nervous. Feel nervous actually. I know you'll do great out there."

"Thanks," Rayla replied softly, she wasn't convinced.

If she made a mistake out there, it could really set everyone off. Her goal tonight was to remind her people that they were working for peace, to show the human people that she was going to stand with them. Callum had the same goal as well. So comfort filled her knowing that she wouldn't have to do this alone.

"Have you spoken with the king," Callum asked her next.

Rayla nodded, "I did. He's doing better, still fretting though."

Ethari had come to see Rayla while she had been preparing her address to the crowd. Though he was uncertain of this approach, he made it known how proud he was of her and how glad he was to see she was unharmed. He didn't comment on the cut she had, but his eyes lingered there for a moment. Regardless, it had been nice to see him again. He had done as she asked and brought a large number of their people here.

Now all she would have to do was convince them that war was not the way, that they needed to stand united now more than ever. If worse came to worse, Rayla and Callum had one strong card to play. They had discussed it before which had lead to a long silence between the pair, neither sure of how to go about it. The sound of horns and trumpets filled their ears, making the royals jump and straighten their posture.

"Presenting their royal highnesses, Queen-in-waiting Rayla of Lunaris and Prince Callum of Katolis!"

Rayla and Callum locked their arms together and made their way down the room, to the balcony. The crowd before them was massive, much bigger than either was expecting. However that was a good thing, it meant their people were willing to stand side by side in the face of their rulers. Together, the royals stood at the edge of the balcony, looking at all their people below who were settling down. It was now or never.

"Thank you to the humans of Katolis for coming tonight," Rayla said, the wind carrying her voice.

"Thank you to the elves of Lunaris for joining us this evening," Callum said after her.

Rayla inhaled deepy, she squeezed Callum's arm as she spoke clearly, "The recent attacks on the King of Katolis and King of Lunaris will not stand."

"The ones responsible for this act will face the consequences of their actions," Callum added, his tone stronger than he felt, "Our families are as deeply disturbed by these events as you are."

"But we have not let it separate us," Rayla said.

A moment of silence passed as Rayla and Callum looked at each other. Rayla brought her gaze back to the people below, she took a steadying breath and hoped her heart wouldn't beat out of her chest.

With an even voice, she explained to the crowd, "Prince Callum and myself have heard whispers, calls for war among our two people. But it is not the answer. Fighting is what has brought on this attack, a cry against peace is what has harmed our two kings."

Callum spoke next, he gripped Rayla's arm tightly, "Everyone here has been wronged by the actions of a few who wish to see the foundations of peace our people have worked hard to put together. It is up to us whether or not we allow such a thing to occur."

"I am asking the people of Katolis to hear what I say," Rayla said, her tone earnest, an underline of passion in each word, "That we of Lunaris are suffering beside you. That we want to peace as much as you do."

Callum addressed the elves, "To the people of Lunaris. My people and are not exempt from this pain. We want to right wrongs of the past, but bridging to a better future. However that cannot be possible if we cannot stand together."

Rayla lifted her left hand up, towards the people of Katolis, "If we are to make right the wrongs of the past, if we are to move to the future, then we must stand as one."

Callum brought his right hand up, towards the people of Lunaris, "In order for us all to stand as one, we must work together. If we are to become one people, it is time we become united."

"I know that the future of us all is uncertain," Rayla told the crowd.

"I know that you are afraid of the unknown," Callum said.

Rayla looked at Callum, "But we are not afraid."

Callum turned his head to Rayla, "We are ready to face the uncertain times."

"Together," Rayla and Callum said as one voice.

The bind between Callum and Rayla had been activated before, but it had not been set in stone. This action here tonight would make it unbreakable, the first of the more serious steps that they would have taken hours before their marriage. However they were doing this now, much to the surprise of both Queen Sarai and King Ethari who remained off to the sides. The palms which were outstretched to their betrothed's people began to glow white, flickering in time with the other's heart beat.

"Our kingdoms will be bond," Rayla said first, her voice stern as the light grew brighter, "My heart and soul, to Prince Callum of Katolis."

"Our union will be solidified," Callum said second, his voice left no room for argument, his hand glowing brighter, "My spirit and essence, to the Queen-in-waiting, to Princess Rayla of Lunaris."

As one voice, the glow of their palms clear for everyone below to witness, they said, "We bind ourselves for peace. We bind ourselves to each other, for the sake of all kingdoms, for the sake of the elves and humans."

A pulse shook the earth below, the light from their palms could have outshined the sun as it left their hands in a wave that went past their people. This part of their bind ensured that their people would be fall under the rule of both of them, not one or the other, but both. An individual may disagree, but they would be bond by the laws of the bind, they would be bond to honor their royals. As the white light of their bind faded, their hands lowering back to their sides, silence greeted them. The sun had sunk lower, it was nearly twilight.

Holding their breaths, Rayla and Callum watched as their people got onto their knees and bowed. A sign of acknowledgement, of respect, of acceptance. The magic flourished around Rayla and Callum, they could feel a new energy that didn't belong to the other, but to their people below. Both humans and elves, the people of Katolis and the people of Lunaris had accepted their heirs. Katolis's population would recognize Rayla as one of their monarchs. The people of Lunaris would acknowledge Callum as one of their royals. Their plan worked. Moments passed as the royals watched their people kneeling, heads bowed, before they all rose to their feet. Once they had, cheers had erupted on both sides.

Happy smiles spread on Callum and Rayla's faces, they could feel the magic rushing over their people, bringing out their energy for all. Callum brought Rayla into a hug and she returned the embrace quickly. That honestly went so much better than either of them suspected, but they knew they were not out of the woods yet.

Their bind was solidified in the minds of the people, in the minds of each other, but the calls for war in the other kingdoms would not cease because of this. That was the next part. While the Kings recovered, the Queen of Katolis and King of Lunaris would attend to all their duties. Rayla and Callum would journey to each kingdom, human and elf alike, to dispel the calls for war, to unite them all. Their introductory tour was now a call for peace, a call for unification. That was what their wedding tour was supposed to be, but things had changed.

Rayla let go first, she stepped closer to balcony to speak to the crowd once more, "Thank you all, thank you all for your acceptance."

"We will not let you down," Callum said next, "You have given us a great chance, a leap of faith that we will not let pass."

The crowd below began to chant, the cheers of Katolis' nation's cry overlapping with Lunaris'. It was a bit disjointed to be sure, each royal struggled to make out what words came from where, but that wasn't the point. Their people would stand beside each other, their people would stand behind Callum and Rayla. History would look back on this day, as one of the more important parts of their uniting the elf and human kingdoms. Rayla and Callum brought up their locked hands, holding the other up as the crowd cheered in response. Yet even as the feelings of acceptance and joy filled Callum, he felt a small knot of unease in his stomach.

Though he was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he felt this had been too easy. He knew Rayla had felt that too. The people of their kingdoms had been unhappy about the events, but were placated enough knowing that both their rulers were hurt. So it could make sense that they were more willing to stand together. The other elf nations and human kingdoms however only saw the injury of their kind. Even with these thoughts, Callum still felt more push back should have been seen among their two people alike. However before he could dwell on it much longer, he and Rayla were ushered off the balcony and back inside to be greeted by annoyed looks from their respective guardians.

"That was not part of the plan," King Ethari said, his eyes narrowed at Rayla.

Rayla was not intimidated, "Considering I never told you the plan, you can't say that."

Queen Sarai frowned, her gaze shined with something neither teenager could place, "Going through that process of the bond was your plan from the beginning?"

"The people were restless," Rayla explained, her gaze level, "While the other nations whisper and scream for war, we brought our nations together."

Callum nodded in agreement, "By us uniting in a more official way, we have now sent a message to every human and elf kingdom. We are standing as one in the wake of this turmoil."

"There were other ways to handle it than by doing this," Queen Sarai protested, her anger shining through.

Callum argued back, "Rayla and I are going to be married one way or another. The only thing we have done is speed up the process."

"Pushin' our union through shows that we are one," Rayla added, ready to defend their plan with every breath, "Now that we have started this process sooner than expected, we cannot be ignored."

"You shouldn't have done it this way," King Ethari said, his volume loud and sharp, "All you needed to do was pacify the kingdoms, you needed to show them you were united-"

"Pacifying them would only last so long," Rayla interrupted him, eyes ablaze.

Callum stepped forward, "Empty words will get us nowhere. Action was needed, so that is what we did. Our uniting in this way did more than us saying that we are together will have."

Queen Sarai struggled to keep her voice under control, "This action should have been approved by us. Neither of you are rulers yet, you both went behind our backs to take matters into your own hands when you shouldn't have. Neither of you are ready to start making these kinds of decisions-"

"You have been pushing us into this betrothal for years and getting us ready to take over for when the day when none of you are around and _now you want to talk about we aren't ready_," Callum said, his anger shining through.

"We have ensured that our kingdoms will stand as one, humans and elves here can now see that we are not each other's enemy," Rayla said in a calm voice, she gave Callum's hand a squeeze as she went on, "Neither of you would have approved of such a decision and forgive me, but we cannot sit behind you forever."

Callum added to her words, "You cannot push us into more serious positions then hide us away the moment things get tough. Rayla is Queen-in-waiting now."

"And Callum on his way to becoming the Dragon Prince," Rayla said after him.

The surprise on Ethari's and Sarai's faces at those words would have made both teenagers laugh if not for the gravity of the situation and for the weight of such words. While the dragon prince in Xadia, the only son of the king of the dragons, had just been born, he was not the only one in a manner of speaking. The Dragon Prince had been a title bestowed upon a person of magical essence. There was a reason why Callum was betrothed to Rayla instead of Prince Ezran or Prince Kasef or Princess Anya, and it wasn't to do with age.

It made sense that Katolis as the largest human kingdom provide the human side of the betrothal, especially considering it would not sacrifice the king's bloodline. However, there was another hidden reason for such a decision that only the Kings and Queens of each nation knew. Callum could not rule Katolis because he was not of royal blood, the same was almost true for princess Rayla. However where she had a loophole through Runaan's meddling, Callum had something else calling to him. Even if the rule had changed that he could become a king of Katolis or a King of Katolis, what would stand in his way was the call of dragons. A magical essence title, one that had not been seen nor heard from in hundreds and hundreds of years.

"Didn't think I knew about that, did you mother," Callum said, his voice cold.

The Queen took a moment to compose herself, "How did you know?"

Callum looked at Rayla, "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

"Together," Rayla replied, she looked at King and Queen before her, "I discovered it at midday, soon after I received the message from Ethari."

"Rayla had seen it through the bond, a memory that I couldn't access because of a block that was placed on me," Callum explained, he almost sounded bitter.

Rayla let some anger leak into her voice as she spoke, "You covered the dragon's mark on him."

"For his protection," Queen Sarai said sharply.

Callum glared at her, "No, to keep me from it. My being drawn to magic used to tug at me so harshly that it hurt, because _you_ blocked my connection. I could have learned real, pure magic if you hadn't blocked it from me."

Queen Sarai stared him down, "You did not need magic,"

"_He _is a human with the ability to tap into primal magic. I felt it in him, locked away and caged up! That never should have been done to him. He is to become the Dragon Prince as the only humans to ever have such a connection were the Dragon Princesses and Princes," Rayla said clearly, Callum's pain leaking into her through the bond, "And you nearly ruined it."

Callum stood up straighter as he spoke again, "Rayla brought it out of me. She brought it back to me, but it was never something that should have been buried."

Queen Sarai took a breath before she spoke, "You were, you still are, too young to have such a burden."

"No, I should have been working to it all this time," Callum replied shaking his head, "Did you know, had Rayla not unlocked it, it would have been severed when I turned sixteen? Did you know that?"

The Queen did not reply, but the look of guilt and shame on her face told Callum and Rayla all they needed to know.

Callum visibly swallowed before he spoke again, "With this step in the bind between us solidified, Rayla is now betrothed to the rising Dragon Prince. We went through with the bind because it brought out a realization to the both of us."

"And what is that," Ethari asked, his tone uneasy.

It was Rayla who answered him, "That you both are bond to the laws of the kingdoms, but Callum is not. Due to his unique mantle, he is not resigned to any one nation. Katolis is his home, so he has allegiance to it. Lunaris will be his second home, he can be loyal to it through me."

"However I belong to no kingdom, Rayla as my wife will not either," Callum said, his tone held something akin to pride, "We are in one of the most unique and powerful positions in human or elf history."

"And we will take full advantage of that as we go traveling from kingdom to kingdom," Rayla added, her own voice held pride, "Together, we have real power and chance to unite all nations."

Callum nodded, "Which leaves us with one question."

Rayla was the one who asked it, "Why did you try to destroy that?"

Neither Callum nor Rayla could begin to understand why Callum's unique and powerful title was to be kept hidden, then one day severed from him. It seemed like it would have been the perfect set up to ensure that they could enact real change among the people of both lands. The power that came with a such a title did come with a heavy burden, Callum could almost understand why his mother wanted to keep it hidden, to spare him that burden. But at the cost of severing his connection to magic, at the cost of hurting his life? He didn't understand.

"I think we all should sit down," King Ethari said after a few moments of silence, "We had reason to keep such a title, such a truth away from you Prince Callum."

Callum frowned, but said nothing. Rayla gripped his hand tightly.

Queen Sarai answered their question, "Because the title, the power of the Dragon Prince… Callum should you take on the mantle, there is a high probability that it will kill you. That the magic it carries, will destroy you from the inside out."

* * *

**A/N: Minor backstory. When I first saw the posters for the dragon prince, I really thought that dragon prince was a title or mantle. I for sure thought that Callum was supposed to be the Dragon Prince. Then I watched the show and realized, they meant a literal dragon which was cool, but couldn't fight my disappointment. Soooo of course, I had to work it into the story. Next chapter, we find out more about what it means to be the Dragon Prince in this universe.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It feels like a posting kind of evening, so here's another chapter for you. We are just touching the surface on the Dragon Prince title and it's history and I am excited to dive deeper into it. Hope you guys are having a good day :)**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Ugly Truth Over Pretty Lies**

Callum felt like he was suffocating, that the air had gotten too thick for him to take in and he was certain any second he would start hyperventilating. The only thing that was keeping him contained right now, the only that was keeping relatively stable was the fact that Rayla had not stopped talking to him, had not let go of his hand. Without her by his side, if he had heard the news, if he had been by himself, he was certain he would unraveled in his place. It was a lot to take in, in one sitting. The weight of it all dragging him down.

He'd wanted the truth, it may not have been as horrid as he imagined, but it was more than enough to throw him off balance. The history of the Dragon Prince, what it entailed, what it meant, the effects it had. All of it had been more than he was prepared for. Anger and shame flooded his senses. How was he supposed to be seen as strong, to be worthy of taking up such a powerful title when he panicked at the description? How was he supposed to be seen as a leader when he couldn't handle the harsh reality?

"Callum," Rayla said, her tone sharper than before, "Please look at me."

Reluctantly, Callum turned his gaze away from the waves below to look at Rayla. In her eyes, he saw a reflection of himself and the sight of his shaken self made him angry again. Why couldn't he be stronger? Why did he have to be so weak? His aunt was a renowned warrior, his mother a brilliant Queen, his step father a powerful king, his birth father a strong soldier, yet he was this. Just a boy who wanted to be a man.

"What," Callum huffed out, his breathing still ragged.

Rayla held his gaze, "Are you alright? You were gone there for second."

Callum looked away from her, his tone irritated, "Beginnings of an anxiety attack. Ignore it, it's passed now."

"If you're sure. But if you need anything, just say so," Rayla whispered softly, but she sounded unsure, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Callum didn't look at her, his eyes focused down on the waves below. The sound of them crashing against the rocks, the smell of the sea air settled him down a bit more along with the strong feeling of Rayla's hand. Did he want to talk about? Not really what he felt, but more of what it meant. The Queen's words echoed in his mind, ringing in his ears.

"_The title Dragon Prince, Princess or Royal was given to a human connected to primal magic without the aid of a primal stone. Because it fell to a human, that meant that they would be almost like a bridge between the magic and non magic people."_

That sounded great, that sounded like a brilliant thing. Also, a very powerful ally to have in an ending or growing war between the magic and non magic groups. The war between human and elves was over, but the cries for war had returned. Announcing to all the lands that there was a Dragon Prince should have been a beacon of hope, yet the human monarchs and elf leaders decided to keep it secret. Which left Callum and Rayla wondering why. Ethari had been the one to answer the question first.

"_The burden of the Dragon Royal is not an easy one," Ethari had said weakly, "Your life, it could snap out of existence if something were to go wrong."_

It hadn't meant sense to either Rayla or Callum, frankly Callum had still be confused by it all which lead to the King and Queen explaining the difference of biology and magic. Humans were not born of magic the way elves and dragons were, they were born from something else. Exactly what they were born of, no one quite knew. However what was known was that humans affected by magic were not well off. It was why there was human magic, Dark magic. Since humans suffered when trying to use primal magic, since it affected their DNA in an unsightly way, they had sorted to other means.

While Dark Magic certainly took a toll on the humans who practiced, it was one that happened over time and could more or less be handled. When not primal magic was not properly used in a human's hand, it would break them. The Dragon Royals of the past lived very short lives, their minds, their bodies, despite their connection to the primal energies could not handle it. The oldest Dragon Royal lived to twenty five, the earliest to die had been ten. In the time that a Dragon Royal lived and served, on top of the magic destroying them from the inside out, they were constantly struggling with the world around them. As if life was beating them down at every turn.

There was little information on the previous Dragon Princes and Princesses, but what information they did have was enough to shake Callum to his core. One Dragon Prince had lost his mind, his sanity the sacrifice he had to pay for his acceptance of the title, twisting him into something different until he died at nineteen. A Dragon Princess had ended up sacrificing her lover in acceptance of the title, breaking her spirit. She had died at twenty two. Each of their stories ended with something they had sacrifice, some choice and betrayal they commit that shatters them.

Each of their trials, constantly being tested by the magic that rushed through their veins. It was the great honor a human could ever have, but the absolute worst burden on any soul. Happy endings was not something the Dragon Prince or Princess could ever hope to achieve, their lives filled with pain because of the burden they shouldered, their lives dedicated to the greater good at the expanse of everything they were. It worried Callum just what he have to sacrifice.

It was because of this, that after the last Dragon Royal had perished from the title, if a new one was discovered their dragon's mark was to be blocked and their connection to magic svered. The elves had been furious, claiming it was wrong, but it was a human affair so their voices were ignored. And considering the painful affects the title had on the human children, they let it go. Any other Dragon Royals before Callum had their marks severed. The burden of the Dragon Prince was one of the heaviest ones in human or elf history.

Callum said shakily, his heart pounded with fear, "By accepting the title, I'll face all kinds of terrible things, sacrifice something that will send me off the deep end. And I'll die by twenty five,"

Callum was not a stranger to death. He didn't remember his birth father, he had died before he was born. And shortly after that, Callum had lost his little sister. Then there was the almost death of his aunt, the almost death of his mom, the possible death of king Harrow and now his own possible death. It seemed that death hovered near him. It made his stomach tightened, chest pound and brain spin out of control.

"Well you won't be alone in facing those challenges," Rayla said sternly, "Plus you don't know that you'll die by then. There's a first time fer everythin', you could live a long life."

Callum couldn't look at her, "It doesn't matter. I have to take it on. For all the humans and elves."

Rayla frowned at him. She'd known very little about the hidden title of Dragon Prince, learning that it could cost Callum his life had partially made her regret bringing it out. Only she hadn't brought it out consciously, the bond had brought it. Besides, she also knew that destiny had a way of finding it's way to people. Now Callum had a choice in what to take. If he truly wished it, he could have the mark blocked once again and they would work together the way they planned to get the people together.

Callum looked at her then with a frown of his own.

"No, we're going to do this differently," Callum told her.

Rayla's eyes widened, "Did you hear ma thoughts?"

Callum nodded, "You were projecting them a bit."

"Oh, sorry," Rayal replied, she took a breath, "I support your decision. So, we leave the day after tomorrow to start our tour. Gives us a day to plan the journey."

Callum had wanted to leave in the morning, but he knew Rayla was right in saying that they needed to organize the trip since they had moved it up and only the two of them were going. Originally it would have been the two of them with their families, but now it was only them alone and they were adjusting their locations. Given how everything had changed in the past few days, it made sense that their travel plans would as well.

Before Callum could face all the kingdoms, he needed to learn the basic magic of each elf nation. Their first destination would be the king of the Dragons. Once he had the King of the Dragons approval and teaching, no one in the elf nations would be able to turn him away. Though the human nations were a bit of a different story as they didn't fall under the Dragon King's rule.

Callum exhaled with a heavy breath, "Yeah… Skies Rayla, what if I fail? I don't know the first thing about how to be this Dragon Prince and I doubt I'll be able to find it in any books."

Rayla agreed with that, she thought for a moment, "The Dragon King is very old, he's been around for centuries. I'm sure he will have known at least on of the Dragon Royals before you and offer some wisdom."

"Maybe you're right," Callum whispered, he tilted his head up to the sky, "I don't, I don't know what to do. What kid wouldn't want to have magic powers and be something special, yet… there are somethings with it I don't want."

The over looming threat he would die young wasn't something he wanted, Rayla couldn't think of anyone wanting such a thing. However as she watched Callum, studied him in the soft moonlight, she vowed not to let it happen. There had to be a way to save him, one way or another, she would find it. Callum would live a long life, the two of them would grow old together.

"I won't let it happen," Rayla told him sternly, her eyes determined and fierce.

Callum looked at her with a worn expression, "Some things are out of our control."

"Maybe," Rayla admitted, "Destiny finds us all, but we can also shape it ourselves. Just because it hasn't happened before, doesn't mean it can't happen."

Callum considering arguing with her, but he decided against it when he felt the hope and determination spark in the that little nudge from their bond. Knowing that she believed strongly in her words, that she would find a way to save him, it gave him a boost of confidence. For now, he wouldn't argue with her. He would put some faith in her, after all, there was a chance she was right. It may not have been a big chance, but it certainly was one. They could work with that.

"Thank you," Callum said, his tone sincere, "I appreciate that."

Rayla's smile made his stomach flutter, "Of course."

A comforting silence settled over the two of them. After several minutes of standing beside each other looking out at the water below, Rayla excused herself to get some rest for the next day. Her room was just across from Callum's, so if anything happened she would be close by. Callum waved goodnight, but he found that sleep likely wouldn't find him.

Tomorrow he would need to act like his new position demanded, he would need to be strong, decisive. A heavy breath left him when the door opened, the footsteps told him it was his mother. In all honesty, she was the last person he wanted to talk to right now, but he supposed he couldn't avoid her forever. And on some levels, he did understand why she kept it from him. What mother would want their child to follow a path that was sure to get them killed? But his anger did not disappear.

"I understand," Callum started not turning to look at her, "Why you would hide it from me. But I can't forgive that right now. I need more time to process and accept it."

Sarai came to her son's side, she nodded, "I just need you to know that it was only to keep you safe. You mean the world to me Callum."

Callum looked at her, "I know that too."

"Do you and Rayla have a new plan for the journey," the Queen asked.

As much as Sarai wanted to stop them, to keep them in the castle in Katolis, she knew that they would leave with or without her blessing. It was better that she allow them to leave on their terms, with some traveling guards and security. Otherwise it would merely be the two of them sneaking away, which was more than dangerous. There was enough dangerous around them already.

Callum turned his gaze forward, "Rayla and I have one drummed up already. I expect by midday tomorrow, it will be finalized."

Sarai looked out to the horizon, "If I may add a request?"

"You could order one so I know you asking for a request is mostly a formality," Callum commented, a little bitter and irritated.

Callum was never one to make snide remarks or to be short tempered, he'd always been well behaved and mannered. He only argued when he thought something was unfair, but with the utmost respect. It was a little jarring to see Callum act this way, but she supposed it was only fair. After everything that had happened, she truly couldn't blame him or hold it against him for acting colder to her.

"Please watch your tone," she decided to say softly, "I request that you take Ezran with you."

Callum whipped his head to look at his mother in surprise, "You want Ezran to come with us? Why? Wouldn't you want him at the castle?"

Sarai gazed at her son with a frown, "Nothing would make me happier than for you both to be safe at the castle, but I know this attack on Harrow is only the first. You, Rayla and Ezran would be safer traveling than here. Besides, I don't think it would be good for Ezran to wait around the castle for news on Harrow."

Callum considered that for a moment. Bringing Ezran along didn't bother him, he would actually love to bring Ezran with him. However he was worried about it. Though the way his mother was describing it, he understood why it was a viable option. Bringing Ezran along would be a good thing for his safety and allow him a chance to actually leave the kingdom, to see Xadia and magic. Callum thought about Rayla, would she be okay with this? He sent the thought through that nudge of a bond. Her answer came swift, he was even certain she was smiling at the idea of having the younger prince on the journey with them.

When Callum didn't say anything, the Queen added, "I know you'd have to discuss with Princess Rayla, but-"

"She's okay with it," Callum interrupted, he flashed his mom a grin, "The bind. I can send her thoughts, she can send me thoughts back."

The Queen nodded, not that surprised by his words, "I see."

Callum watched the waves again, "If that's all, then I'm going to bed."

"Of course," Sarai said softly, "I love you Callum."

Callum didn't glance at his mother, he didn't response until she had already made it across the room, "I love you too."

* * *

The next night

* * *

Callum and Rayla had never felt so busy before. All day, they had been running around trying to organize every detail about the trip that satisfied both of their parties. When the pair of them went to speak with King Runaan, to inform him of the changes, he hadn't been too pleased with Rayla. Even told Callum to leave the room while he spoke with his adopted daughter. At first, Callum had been hesitant to leave her alone, but she told him it was alright and that she needed to do this. From the hallway, Callum waited and he heard the pair screaming at each other in her native tongue. However when Rayla emerged, she looked pleased with herself and said they would have no trouble from him.

Callum was sitting on his bed now, drawing Princess Rayla while Ezran was packing his bags across from him. The soon to be Dragon Prince had informed his brother in the morning that he would be joining their trip, but the ten year old didn't pack anything. So as the storm raged outside, Ezran had finally decided to pack his bag while Callum sketched away in his book.

Prince Ezran knew a great deal of things, a lot of things he probably should know just yet, but that was neither here nor there. He knew that the reason he was going with Callum and Rayla was so that he wouldn't have to wait around for his dad to wake up. He'd overheard his mother talking about it earlier with Viren. At first, he had been angry by that. Yes, he was ten years old, but he wasn't some little kid. He was the crown prince of Katolis and would be king one day so he didn't understand the need for such things to be hidden from him. So instead of being mad, he was excited about the journey ahead of him. He would get to journey with Callum and Rayla through Xadia, to see magic. That was so exciting.

"Do you think the nations we go to have jelly tarts," Ezran asked suddenly, "Maybe I better stock up just in case."

Callum chuckled, he didn't loft his gaze as he answered, "They probably won't last the whole journey. You can ask Rayla about the tarts tomorrow."

Ezran nodded, "I definitely will. Are you excited to go on this trip?"

Callum frowned to himself, excited wasn't the word he would use to describe it. The reasons for going didn't excite him, the news that lead to the decision didn't excite him, the looming threat of war and his death didn't excite him. Though the idea of seeing Xadia was exciting, he felt it was being overshadowed by his fear and anxiety.

"Yeah," Callum lied with a fake smile, "I'm really excited."

Ezran grinned for a moment, "Me too. Though I'm sad mom and dad can't come."

Callum continued to sketch, "Yeah, but they're needed here."

"What if dad wakes up while we're gone," Ezran asked as he sat criss cross on the stone floor, "Shouldn't we be here when he wakes up?"

Callum stopped his sketching at that. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to look at his younger brother for a moment as he thought of an answer. Big, innocent blue eyes met Callum's green eyes. Ezran wasn't just some little kid, of course Callum knew that, but Ezran also wasn't that grown yet. He could handle a lot of things, yet there were some things a kid shouldn't have to handle. The thought of his mother entered Callum's mind. She must have had similar thoughts about him when she discovered he was to become the Dragon Prince.

"As soon as dad wakes up, mom will send a message," Callum reassured his brother, "And he'll understand why we aren't here to greet him when he wakes up."

Ezran sighed, "Yeah, I guess so. I just hope he wakes up soon. Then by the time we get back, we can tell dad all about our adventures."

Callum brought his gaze back to his sketchbook again, "And I know he'll love it. Now finish packing then get some sleep."

"You got it," Ezran said as he went back to packing.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I am not a short chapter fan, but this chapter ends at the right spot and I did not want to just add a bunch of unnecessary fluff, so shorter chapter today. Hope you are all having a good Wednesday!**

**Also, italics means dream for this chapter :)**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: A Journey of A Thousand Miles **

Laughter. Pure, unrestrained and stomach aching laughter came from the three 'children' in the forest. Callum couldn't remember the last time he had ever laughed so hard. Though the pressure on his shoulders and pain in his back was an ever growing concern in his mind, it was nice that for these few moments he could just sit here hunched over and laugh. The feeling was freeing, it was nice. He could feel Rayla's joy as if it was his own, and he noticed something they had in common. Neither of them had felt so carefree in years than they did right this second.

He cracked open his green eyes to see Ezran on the ground laughing with Bait while Rayla stood hunched over, arms wrapped around her stomach. Her laugh was strong and beautiful, her eyes closed and hair a mess from their first adventure. He imagined his hair wasn't much better. This was the first time he'd ever heard genuinely laugh. Every other time it was more a chuckle or quick laugh, this one was unrestrained. He wished he could hear her laugh like that more.

"I can't- I can't breathe," Ezran said as he set up trying to stop laughing, "I've never, never seen so many, many guards scatter like that."

Rayla took a breath, "You have clearly been missing out little prince. I've made many guards take off runnin' with my pranks in the past."

"Why doesn't that surprise me," Callum asked as he took a deep breath.

The day was going much better than it had started which was perfect for Callum. This morning for their departure, Callum, Rayla and Ezran were supposed to leave alone in disguises. A plan that the ruling monarchs wanted was for the three royals here to take a caravan to the human kingdoms and to Xadia, eventually to the king of the dragons. Ezran didn't care, but Callum and Rayla were far from happy about this. Their plans had already been put in place and traveling with a large party would make them bigger targets than three disguised people traveling about. It was needless to say, they weren't pleased with th arrangement.

Callum in particular was the most upset. Already his morning had started off uneasily due to the nightmares he'd had the previous night, not his mother was trying to control the plan that Rayla and Callum had already finalized and worked through. It was good thing that had back up plans, knowing that either of their parents would try to stop them or try to regain control. Callum understood why they wanted to be in control, why they were doing all this, but it didn't mean he had to like it or agree with it.

So with some scheming on their part, they were able to ditch their caravan and send them back on their way. Though not after some pranks which lead to the laughter, a lot of bargaining and a new plan. The caravan was to continue on their plotted course while Callum, Ezran and Rayla went on a different path, straight to the king of the dragons. The caravan was made up of three carriages, at a certain point those carriages would split apart and head in three different direction. This would throw of anyone attempting to follow them and it would ensure that the attention would be in three seprate places, no one would be looking for them.

"Break time's over," called Soren as he made his way to the three royals, "It's time we get moving."

Part of the bargaining to get the guards to completely leave them was them at least bringing the mage's children as Soren was one of the best guards and Claudia a skilled mage. However Rayla had informed them of one very important thing that if Claudia joined them, she had to avoid using human magic unless absolutely necessary. The humans had border protection, but so did Xadia in the form of former king of dragons, Sol Regem, who they need permission in order to safely pass. Otherwise they would have to sneak the humans past him.

Callum would gain that position almost instantly because of the dragon mark on his back, Ezran could get permission because of his status a royal heir, Claudia and Soren will have trouble. More so Claudia because of her use of dark magic. He would not allow a human who uses dark magic to pass and he could tell, the scent of death follows a human mage. The journey to him will take a few days on foot, which should be enough time for the smell to leave her, but if not then they have more trouble to deal with.

The three royals started their journey, Soren and Claudia following after them. To say she was upset about not being able to use magic wasn't entirely accurate. Considering she still had two primal stones with her that would allow her to cast spells, she more worried about forgetting not to use the magic that was second nature to her. She just had to be careful and she could definitely do that. When word gets out on how the three royals had disappeared from the caravan with Claudia and Soren aiding them, trouble would reach them all. However Callum was confident that it wouldn't be an issue and if anyone made it an issue, they could answer to him and Rayla.

As Claudia walked behind the royals as Soren was telling them Soren, she studied Callum for a bit. The pair of them had always been friends, practically grew up together in the castle walls and she always saw him as a second brother she could look after. But recently it felt as if he had grown over night. Like he was no longer that boy who could barely hold sword, who shied away from attention and conflict. Now, now he looked strong. Not that he wasn't strong before, but this was different. It all started with the arrival of the princess Rayla. It wasn't all her doing as a lot of other stuff had happened, but still, the princess and their bind had pushed him forward.

"Hey Claudia," Ezran said as he moved to stand in front of her, "Can you do your wind breath trick for us? The one that always smells like peanut butter. Bait really wants to see it."

Claudia chuckled, "How can I say no to Bait? One breath trick coming up."

Claudia glanced at Rayla for a moment, the princess's gaze scrutinizing and almost warning her, but the mage did her best to ignore it. The dakr haired girl pulled out the sky primal stone, the dark blue orb which held the power of a storm inside. A storm cloud and lightning could be seen if you looked at it. With the stone in her left hand, Claudia wrote the symbol in the air, said the magic words and then blew a gentle gust of wind that went through the group. Ezran grinned happily, Soren was used to it so he didn't react, Callum and Rayla were watching with similar expression. As the wind died down, Claudia noticed the royal pair looking at each other, having a silent conversation with the other that last a few moments.

"Thanks Claudia," Ezran said, he looked thoughtful, "I wonder if sky dragons make tornados that way. That they just blow and then tada, tornado."

Claudia shrugged, "It's possible. I bet Rayla knows the answer to that question."

At the sound of her name, Rayla snapped her gaze in their direction. Claudia studied her expression, it wasn't surprised, but it was… strange. It was a look she couldn't really describe, but her best guess was wary, distrustful may have been a better word. In what regard, Claudia had no idea and found she didn't appreciate it.

Ezran asked his question, "Do sky dragons make tornados by just blowing air like the wind spell?"

Rayla shook her head, "No. They can make a strong gust of wind, but to make a tornado they have to fly around in a circle really, really fast."

"Oh, that makes sense," Ezran commented.

"Claudia, I think you should teach Callum the spells you know," Rayla said coming up to stand before the mage.

It looked like Rayla had struggled to get those words out, Claudia wondered why. Of course it could have been because of her use of dark magic, but the look in Rayla's eyes said it was something else, something more. Jealousy was the word that popped into Claudia's mind, but she couldn't imagine that the princess would be jealous about. Teaching magic? Rayla had magic in her due to her species, she could teach him magic as well, so that couldn't be it.

Callum came to her side, he had a look on his face that practically screamed 'be nice' before he spoke to Claudia, "I'll need to learn magic from the other elf nations we go to, but it would be a good idea for me to have more of a foundation in the spells you know. This way I don't show up completely unprepared. We get to have those magic lessons after all."

Rayla failed to hide her minor scowl at those words, she said nothing.

"I'd get to say I taught the Dragon Prince first, bragging rights to be sure," Claudia informed him making Callum chuckle, "Of course I'll teach you. We can start when we make camp tonight."

"Perfect," Rayla said, she didn't sound too happy.

She started walking again with Ezran by her side, Callum joined a moment later with Soren after him while Claudia waited in her spot for a moment longer, just watching. That was interesting. For the remainder of their walk before camp, Claudia continued to think on that interaction, curious as to what deeper meaning was behind it.

* * *

_The sky was dark, lightning flashed across the clouds and thunder roared, it's booming sound making his heart beat harder in his chest. Smoke and ash filled his lungs, he gasped for clean air, yet only water seemed to enter his lungs. _

"_The power you wield requires sacrifice."_

_He looked up to the sky, in the direction the sharp and threatening voice had come from. On his knees, on the top of a mountain, he could see the kingdoms below. Each and everyone of them beside the other, some parts of them even overlapping. This wasn't right. Lightning cracked in the sky, it struck the earth below, the waves crashed along the cliff. A cry of fear reached his ears, he turned at the source. He had no idea who this person was, but he knew her, he loved her. _

"_Sacrifce for the power you wield!"_

Callum jerked awake with a start, he sat upright in terror and looked around to get a bearing of his surroundings. He was at the camp they had set up earlier, the fire was still going, he noticed Soren was standing off to the side keeping watch and he noticed Rayla was with him. Some irritation sparked in Callum's chest, he wasn't sure why and quickly stamped it down. Especially when the remnants of his dream made his stomach tighten. Taking a deep breath, he tried to settle his nerves. What had that been about? His back felt like it was fire then, he hissed at the feeling. A moment later, Rayla was kneeling in front of him, her violet eyes shined with pain and worry.

"What's hurtin' you," Rayla asked him, her gaze holding his.

Callum grimaced as she shifted slightly, "My back again."

Rayla frowned, then understanding reached her, "The dragon's mark. It must be appearing on you."

"Great," Callum muttered bitterly.

Rayla reached in her pocket and pulled out a small vial of indigo liquid that reminded Callum of ink. However judging by the look on her face, he had a feeling it was more than ink.

"What's that," he asked.

"It's a soothin' potion," Rayla told him as she took off the cap, "A single drop help with the pain. Do you, do you mind if I do it or can you reach it yourself?"

Callum blinked, it wasn't until he saw the blush forming on her cheeks did he realize what she meant, "Oh, uh. No, I don't think I can reach it. It's, it's at the center of my back."

"Thought it might be. From what I know of the myth, the dragon's mark will start in the center of your back then snake around your body," Rayla told him, "The mark will look like a dragon, only more like a spirit one as opposed to the ones you'll see."

Callum scrunched his brow, "What's the difference?"

"Well a spirit dragon is built more like a serpent and doesn't have wings yet can still fly, but the ones in Xadia are bulkier with wings," Rayla explained to him briefly. "I imagine the mark on you will appear more like the spirit dragons rather than ones we have here."

"Why do you think that," Callum asked as he was able to sit up, the pain fading.

Rayla thought for a moment, "More of a guess than anything as there wasn't anything revealing in my recent search. Though perhaps when we stop at Lunaris there might be some old scrolls we can use."

Callum nodded without a word and turned to the side. Uneasily, he raised the back of his shirt up so that Rayla could put on the soothing potion. For a moment, she stared at his back and was right that the mark was forming, the tail of dragon had been etched into his skin. It almost looked like a brand, only golden, though that didn't make her feel better. As quickly and gently as she could, she spread the drop over the forming mark. Once done, Callum lowered his shirt and felt the relief run through him.

"Better," Rayla asked as he faced her.

Callum nodded, "Much. Thank you."

"What are friend for," Rayla replied with a grin of her own, though it faded after a moment, "Are you alright otherwise? I, I felt your fear before."

Callum frowned, she felt his nightmare, "It was nothing, just some bad dreams."

Rayla didn't believe him. The fear she felt from him was more than just a typical bad dream, not to mention his first magic lesson had been, off. While he had learned the spells with rapid speed, Rayla could tell that something was eating away at him because she could feel it. But he wouldn't tell her and now she wanted to ask about what was bothering him, but the look on his face told her to drop it. It was the same look he gave her earlier. Later on she would ask him or just wait until he was ready to tell her about it. If that wasn't tonight or anytime soon, then she would just have to be patient, a trait she sometimes didn't have. However for him, she would wait.

"I won't push for now," Rayla told him honestly, "I only want to know so I can help, but I can't do anythin' if you shut me out. Whenever you're ready, know I'm here."

Callum didn't say anything to that, but he wore a grateful expression. Their journey had only really just started and they had a very long way to go, but Callum was grateful that he had Rayla by his side. He sent her that gratitude and knew the moment she received it as her eyes shined. In silence the pair sat beside each other, watching the fire before sleep overcame them. At some point in the night, their hands had gotten ahold of the others. Neither had bad dreams the rest of the night.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Posting kind of evening. I hope you all are doing well! Thank you for the support on this story, I am glad you guys are enjoying it. I want to know what you think could happen when they face the former Dragon King, Sol Regem. I have two versions prepared, one similar to the episode and one very different. If I might try to merge the two ideas, but who knows. Just depends on the mood. See you awesome people later :)**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Begins With A Single Step**

Callum felt miserable in every sense of the word, but did his best to ensure no one would notice, putting on his more 'princely' face. It had been three days since he, Rayla, Ezran, Soren and Claudia left the original caravan and began their journey to Xadia, to have a meeting with the King of the Dragons. Miraculously these three days of travel had bee uneventful, the most excitement coming from their boat ride down the river when Callum learned Rayla had an intense fear of water.

It had shocked him to be sure when he quite literally felt the fear and panic coursing through her veins, it was a wonder she had been able to keep herself from having a full breakdown. Currently the group was talking through the forest, making their way to the border where the tricky part would come in that Callum was not looking forward to. Crossing the border was no easy feat and even with the alliance between Lunaris and Rayla, there was a chance that they would not receive safe passage through. One way they could possibly have to cross the border would be through the use of magic.

Claudia had brought three primal stones with her, the sky, sun and earth. When Callum started learning magic, he thought he would have been excited, thrilled and happy about it, but with each of the spells he learned from Claudia, his back ached, stomach knotted and head pounded. He had no idea why at first, but last night after Rayla had taught him a moon encatation did he find an answer, it wasn't one he liked.

"_Yer friend seems like a decent person," Rayla said glancing away from him, her eyes focused on the sky above, "But she is a dark mage. Yer supposed human magic is decay at it's core, she has been using it for years and it not leaks into her primal magic, which is opposite of growth."_

_Callum frowned at this, "I don't understand."_

_Rayla let out a sigh, she stopped her walk to face him completely. The look on her face was one he struggled to decipher, she seemed unhappy and concerned. All this magic talk was still new to him, so he knew she wasn't judging him that harshly for not understanding, but he still didn't appreciate this expression. It only took a minute before he could feel what she couldn't quite bring herself to say. _

_The bond was growing more and more by the minute to where they could send abstract thoughts to the other. Emotions was easier to send, harder to hide now, thoughts were beginning to become clear for the other. This thought, albeit not in words or clear in any way, made sense to Callum. It didn't matter what magic Claudia showed him or taught him, the magic in the air was tainted with the decay of her. Human magic took root in people, it seeped into them and spread into each of their spells._

Callum glanced at Claudia with a forlorn expression. Because of the Dragon's mark growing on his body, he was becoming sensitive to magic in it's entirety. He could feel Rayla's magic outside of the bond, he could feel Ezran's magic though he had no idea what magic it was, only that his little brother had it. He barely felt any magic in Soren, but he felt his life force which Callum learned was the only magic humans had. However he could sense the decay from Claudia. One day he wouldn't be able to take the sensation, at least according to Rayla which added to his mental misery. Claudia was a good friend of his, had been for years, how could he not see her again when he was done becoming this Dragon Prince?

The other things adding to his misery included the anger he still felt towards his mother for hiding the truth from him all this time, thinking about how the fate of humans and elves rested on his shoulders, how afraid he was of the nightmares. He'd had one each night since they left the caravan. Never the same people, but each time he looked through the eyes someone who was sacrificing another. The worst one had come last night. He'd been standing in a burning forest, flames raging despite the absolute down pour of rain from the sky. Several feet away from him was a young child, younger than Ezran, just crying for help, but he did not move. The thundering voice roaring above.

"_The power you wield requires sacrifice," it screamed above, "Sacrifice for the power you wield."_

And just before Callum woke up, the young child had vanished in their place was Ezran staring at him. It had shaken him to his core, made him feel awful and wrong in so many ways, but he had no idea where these dreams were coming from. A hand rested on his shoulder, he jerked in surprise and looked to see it was Rayla.

The shine of her violet eyes told him she had heard the echo of the dream. As of last night, she had entered his dreams. Callum wasn't a fan of that, he didn't like how intimate this bond was becoming and how quickly it was moving. Sure he had a feeling it would grow to be this intimate one day, but he guessed that would be the case when they were adults, much older and ready. However he remembered that they had sped the process along their bind to unite their kingdoms, so he supposed it did make sense that their bond was growing so rapidly.

"Later," Callum whispered to her.

Rayla nodded once, she lowered her hand and made her way past him to head back to the front of the group with Soren who was currently walking with Ezran on his shoulders. There had been a number of times Callum had felt some jealousy towards Soren, mostly in regards to how great of a warrior he was, but this jealousy was new. The way Rayla and Soren were able to talk about battle strategies so easily, could spar with each other with ease, it had rubbed him the wrong way.

While Claudia had been giving him magic lessons, Rayla and Soren had taken to sparring with each other. Rayla was much faster and better at using her environment, but Soren was strong and had more endurance than she did, much to her surprise. Callum couldn't fight the scowl on his face when she remembered her laughing about it. At first she had been angry, but then she had been impressed. It really should not have bothered him as much as it did. His Dragon mark ached, he let out a pained sigh.

"You okay there Callum," Claudia asked when she noticed his grimace.

Callum nodded, "Yeah, just the mark acting up."

"Do you need anymore medicine," Claudia asked, "Soren has that magic potion from Rayla, we could stop and-"

"No, no, it's not that bad. Just a little irritating," Callum assured her.

Claudia frowned, then shrugged, "If you're sure."

"We're coming up to the border," Soren called back to them as he set Ezran down, "Get ready for a beast."

Rayla rolled her eyes, "Sol Regem is not a beast, he's a dragon."

"Beast is a giant monster with claws and eats people, last I checked dragon fits that category very well," Soren remarked dryly.

"Regardless we only have two options to get into Xadia," Callum said stopping them for continuing the argument, "Sneaking past him or negotiating passage."

Rayla groaned quietly, "My least favorite form of action, reason."

"Coming from a princess, that's surprising," Soren commented.

If looks could kill, Rayla's gaze would have reduced Soren to ash, but he didn't appear bothered by that. In three of the human kingdoms there was an expectation that the princes be dipolmats and warriors while the princesses were meant to be only diplomats, not fighters. Katolis has not had a blood Queen in many years, most of the Queens who had married in often were on the more diplomat side with Queen Sarai being the exception. However in elf culture it was common for all rulers regardless of gender to be strong and capable warriors.

Though Rayla had mentioned she was not supposed to fight, it did not mean she didn't know how. It was different as she was the only heir to Lunaris. Ezran had not needed to take on much of the fighting and warrior aspects of being a prince and one day king yet, they were giving him leeway as he was the only heir. He was not meant to fight unless a second heir was born or he had an heir of his own. If he were trained to fight anf fell in battle, then there would be no successor. If Ezran were to perish before he had an heir, it could technically fall to Callum. But the only way for that occur would be if Harrow and Sarai were also dead.

"What if the dragon doesn't listen to reason," Claudia asked worriedly, "Can we fight our way through?"

Rayla shook her head, "Sol Regem was once king of the dragons, while he may be older now, he is still very strong and very angry. Fighting him would mean we would burn to death."

"That doesn't sound fun," Ezran commented a bit sadly.

Callum put his hand on Ezran's shoulder, "Don't worry Ez, we'll be fine. I'm sure Sol Regem is a very reasonable dragon who would be willing to hear us out."

Rayla grimaced, "We can't open up with the negotiations, we have to try to sneak past him first. He's not a fan of humans, even less so mage humans."

"Then what's the plan your elfness," Soren asked with an expression that was both curious and bored.

Rayla considered that for a moment, "Sol Regem was blinded many years ago, so we only need to be worried about his sense of hearing and smell."

"Why just those two," Soren questioned with a frown.

"He's blind, so sight is out. If you are close enough for him to touch you, you're in trouble and if yer close enough for him to _taste_ you, yer dead," Rayla told him with a smug expression at the sight of his horrified face, "When we get there, we need to keep out distance so that he cannot smell us. He may not think much of it if he smells me, but if he smells a human, let alone four of you, that is bad news."

Ezran spoke next, "How are we going to sneak by his sense of smell then?"

Rayla grinned, "Each of you will wear an object of mine, with Callum adding a breeze it should hide the human smell enough that he won't notice. However, should he notice and we have to resort to reason, I am the only one to speak. The rest of you must remain silent."

"Yes ma'am," Soren said with a mock salute, "Let's move people."

Soren went ahead, Claudia at his side with Rayla trailing behind them, but Ezran and Callum did not move yet. Since their journey started, Callum had noticed that something seemed to be weighing down on his little brother, yet every time he asked about it, Ezran brushed it off. There was a lot of pressure on Ezran to also be a perfect prince, as he was the crown prince and would one day be king. The idea of Ezran having to carry such a burden always bothered Callum. Not because he wanted the throne instead or anything, but he could see the toll ruling took on his mother and step father. He didn't want that for Ezran.

"Everything okay Ezran," Callum asked they started walking.

Ezran didn't answer right away, he held on to Bait a bit tighter than before as he thought about Callum's question, "I'm worried about Dad. What if he's awake right now and we aren't there? Or what if he hasn't woken up yet?"

Callum frowned at this, "Mom will send us a message soon as he does wake up."

"How is she supposed to send us a message," Ezran asked, his mouth set in a frown, "We aren't in the place she expects us to be. The message can't reach us."

Ezran had a point. The messenger bird would journey to where their mother thought they were headed, so that meant the human kingdoms and not Xadia. That wasn't something Callum had really considered until now, but he already had an idea on how to fix that.

"Once we get to an elf kingdom, we'll send her a message so she knows where we are and where we're heading," Callum told him, "Then the messenger bird will be able to find us."

Ezran seemed to brighten at those words, his smile was wide, "You're right! We will know when dad wakes up."

Callum nodded, "We will. And then, you can tell him all about your great adventure to Xadia with dragons and magic."

"We'll both tell him," Ezran corrected, "Plus, he'll enjoy it so much that he'll convince mom not to be mad at us for running off."

Callum laughed, "Dad may be king, but not even he has the power to stop mom from being mad at us for this."

"I guess so," Ezran relented, but he grinned, "Maybe I can bribe her with jelly tarts. Oh! Speaking of jelly tarts, I still have one left. Want to split it with me?"

"I'd be honored to," Callum said with a bright smile.

The memory of the dream from last night reached Callum's mind once again, the sight of his little brother staring at him in fear, the booming words from a voice from above. He wasn't sure what it all meant, he hoped that they were nothing more than some bad dreams, but the ache of his Dragon's mark told him it had to be more. Callum's green eyes glanced over to Rayla as Ezran started to unwrap the jelly tart. Those violet eyes met his gaze, there was a story in them that he couldn't quite decipher, but he knew it wasn't good.

There was so much they didn't know, so many things they didn't understand, but he supposed even experts were once clueless beginners. He felt like that now, some kid who didn't know what he was getting into, but he had no choice. Being the Dragon Prince was a huge responsibility, King Ethari and his mother said it was the heaviest burden anyone could bear. How was he going to do this? He didn't know where to begin. Sure he had the magic lessons and they were going to Xadia to learn more, but... he felt so alone.

A nudge against his mind and the traces of a warm embrace reached him, Rayla's violet eyes still looking at him with a soft shine to them. A reminder that he was not alone.

Her voice entered his mind, ringing in his ears, 'We'll figure it out, together. One step at a time.'

He sent her a grin, 'One step at a time.'


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I greatly enjoyed working on this chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it. Happy Monday! **

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Awakening**

Fear. One of the more powerful emotions any being had. It came alive without warning, it could easily overwhelm all the other emotions in the span of a single heartbeat. There was fear for your own life, fear of injury, fear of your loved ones getting hurt or dying, being powerless. When it really came down to it, there were plenty of things a person could be, would be afraid of and lose control of themselves given the right circumstances. If Rayla was being honest with herself, there were only two fears she had. Drowning and becoming her parents.

While she should say she feared losing people she cared about, she never let her thoughts dwell on the idea for long and Ethari had already spoken with her that losing someone was inevitable. Runaan said there was no sense fearing something that could not be changed or that could not be prevented. Rayla had disagreed for awhile, but over time she came to understand what they meant by saying such things. So long as she knew how to swim and not lose her head, the chances of her drowning would go down. It was preventable, though she chose to avoid the water altogether.

Becoming her parents was preventable, all she had to do was not do what they did and she would more than fine, she'd be wonderful. The thought of her parents sent an ache through her chest, a much stronger one than she would have guessed considering she heard Callum suck in a breath at the same time she had. That meant he felt what she was feeling, which wasn't really surprising considering she'd been feeling a lot what he was feeling. It was only fair though it made her severely uncomfortable.

Moonshadow elves were not the coldest of elves, but they certainly were the more rigid and detached than the rest. It was one of the reasons they were such fierce warriors, their success rate double anyone elses in Xadia or the human lands. Rayla shook that all from her mind, she needed to focus on the task at hand. As she lifted her violet gaze, she spotted in the far off distance where Sol Regem was, at his ridge.

For the past day she had been trying to drum up plans, strategies to get everyone out of there should things go south, to speak to the former king of dragons and give them all safe passage. Rayla knew she needed to try and convince him of everyone joining, but the problem was, she knew Sol Regem would not allow Soren or Claudia safe passage, Ezran was pushing it, but more likely of the three. Callum, she was certain the former dragon king would let him pass since he was the Dragon Prince, but there was a chance he would say no which would make this journey all for nothing. While there were other ways to get into Xadia, this was a main route and it was the closest to the current king of the dragons.

"Steady, take your steps lightly," Rayla cautioned to the group of humans behind her, her gaze level and stern. "We only have one shot at this. A mistake could cost us all."

Rayla's eyes flickered to Callum's then, a warning was clear. Should they not be able to sneak through, then it was likely only the two of them could continue forward. When she was certain he understood, she turned away to continue to look out the lay out of this new terrain. A different to the forest they had seen over the past few days.

The landscape ahead of them was canyons, the rocky formations orange and brown, lighter parts and the darker parts were scorch marks. The sunfire magic was humming there, Callum could still feel it's heat as he walked slowly beside Rayla. It was a stark contrast to the cool waves that came off her, the cool and chill of the night compared to heat and warmth of the day. Magic was more alive than Callum had originally thought it would have been. Sure he had expected it wouldn't feel dead, but this was, it was different. Not in a bad way.

It was as if a new set of senses had opened up to him and he found that anger at his parents for keeping it from him return. All his life he had felt out of place, he had felt just under okay, just less than good. Yet the more the Dragon's mark formed on the his body, the more his sense seemed to come alive and the world around him grow brighter, grow bolder. The air smelled nicer, clearer. The sounds of the forest were louder, but not in the way that was overwhelming. It was like he was hearing for the first time.

They continued to walk through the landscape when his eyes fell on the former dragon king known as Sol Regem, Sun King. He was… he was massive. The air got warmer for the Callum the closer they made it towards where the dragon sat, staring ahead, though he could not see. For a moment Callum wasn't sure if the heat was from the magic radiating off of him or from his own nervousness and fear. A reassuring sense wrapped around his… his mind. It was strange that he could feel something wrap around his mind, around his thoughts of fear.

His eyes fell on Rayla at his side, though she did not look at him, her own gaze was intently focused on the dragon king. The group had just stopped to hide behind some formations, meant to give them cover and determine their next path. Rayla was leaning over it, her chin pressed to the top as she studied the landscape around them, looking for the best path.

The sunlight shined brightly overhead, the rays bounced off Rayla's white hair to the point it almost glowed. Only a little bit though, he could just barely see the shimmer on the rocks beneath her. And the light on her skin made it look fuller, warmer than it did in the dark. Almost a different hue. This combination sent some warmth through him, not the one like the sunfire magic in the air, but something sweeter. She was beautiful. Though beautiful didn't seem a strong enough word to describe how she looked with the sun on her face or shine to her hair. It was… ethereal. Yeah, ethereal.

Rayla's head snapped down to look at him then, her cheeks had taken on a slightly darker shade and her eyes were wide. Callum's own eyes widened, she heard that. All he could think to do was berate himself for letting his thoughts get so distracted and then to let her _hear _those thoughts. Their voices overlapped each other, in quick whispers.

"I'm sorry-"

"Do you really-"

"-I didn't mean-"

"-think that-"

"-for you to hear."

"-about me?"

They stared at each other, both with colored cheeks and wide eyes, neither quite sure what to do with the situation at hand. Despite the fact that they were trying to sneak past a dragon in order to help unite the elves and humans, there was still time for awkward things. Such as this. Callum visibly swallowed. He glanced to the side and was more than relieved to see that Soren and Claudia were distracted by looking at other possible routes and Ezran was trying to keep Bait calm. No one noticed that. There were small mercies after all.

"I didn't mean to project that," Callum told her as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's, it's okay. We're both uh still gettin' used to this," Rayla said not looking at him, "Did you uh, did you really think that?"

Callum felt her unease then, her disbelief that he would see her like that. It surprised Callum that she had the insecurity when she was nothing short of radiant. Every time he looked at Rayla, all he ever saw was this great pillar of strength, confidence, kindness, passion. There was nothing ordinary about her, she had been ethereal in the light of sun and she was ethereal in all other ways. Even in the less than conventional ones.

He gave her a kind grin, with confidence he didn't have, he said, "Yes. I really think that. I know we have other things to worry about, but I did mean that thought."

Rayla chanced a glance at him then, her smile was small and dare he say, it was shy. That wasn't a word he ever would have put with Rayla, but he supposed when the situation was right, anyone no matter how bold could be shy.

Rayla looked as if she wanted to say more on the subject, but decided against it at the last second. She turned to the group. "Okay, everyone gather round. It is time for a lesson in stealth."

Ezran made his way over, "I'm great at stealth. I sneak into the kitchen every morning to get jelly tarts without being seen."

"Good, we'll need those skills," Rayla told him with a wide smile, but it vanished a moment later as she spoke. "The secret of stealth is you don't have to be invisible. Only invisible to the senses."

"That's why you made a big show on the dragon's senses before," Claudia said, realization settling over her.

Soren rolled his eyes, "All we need to do is rush across quietly. He can't see us, so it should be fine."

Rayla made a face at that, "His eyes are gone, but his hearing is accurate and his sense of smell is powerful. Callum covered up the human scent well enough that I can't pick up on it anymore, but still a chance he might. So we need to be careful and may have to split up."

"Split up," Claudia echoed, her eyes looked to the dragon, "Are we sure that's a good idea?"

Rayla nodded, her tone deadly serious, "In a group the smell with most definitely reach him, but spread out will lessen it."

Claudia still not look convinced. "I have materials I can use to knock him unconscious or to make us invisible-"

"Absolutely not," Rayla interrupted, her violet eyes alight with something Callum couldn't place, "He _will _smell your magic. Your lack of use has dampened the smell, but you use it at all and he will burn us to a crisp before you can even finish the spell."

Claudia nodded to show she understood, though she wasn't happy about it, she wouldn't risk it. Out of everyone here, Rayla knew the most of the dragons and if they intended to get through this, they needed to follow her lead without fail. As Callum studied Rayla as she explained where each person needed to move and how she would be directing them the whole time, he felt her stress and unease on the situation. None of the fear was for her own safety though and Callum knew that was because she was not afraid of the dragons. She'd never had a strong reason to be since the dragons were seen as their protectors and the elves lived to serve them.

Rayla let out a small breath when she finished explaining, everyone knew their part and with any luck, they would pull this off. But Rayla couldn't ignore the worry that twitched inside her that this would go wrong, that Sol Regem would not be pleased and kill them. It certainly was something he would do. Over the years he had become a symbol of rage and bitterness, gone was the once powerful king, but a powerful angry beast. Though Rayla was not calling him a beast because he was dragon, but because the darkness in his heart rivaled that of most dark mages.

On her signal, everyone fanned out quick and silent, making their way to a rock formation to hide. This happened four times before the dragon blew his blames in the direction of where Soren had made a noise with his armor hitting the rocks. The former dragon king roared in fury, his voice booming through the canyons. It sounded familiar to Rayla, though she had never heard this particular dragon speak before. On her journey to the human kingdoms they didn't come this way, so it hadn't been then and the dragons rarely left their homes unless they were seriously needed.

Fear pierced her heart, true fear washed over her as she listened to his booming voice again. The fear wasn't hers, it was Callum's. He'd heard the voice before, she heard it from his dreams. Rayla looked to Callum then, his eyes fell on her. He was hiding behind a rock formation, clutching Ezran tightly to him, doing all he could to protect his little brother. They would be okay, she would make sure of it.

"Do we run for it," Soren whisper yelled to her.

Rayla shook her head, her shoulders sagging as she replied, "No. We'll never make it that way… I have to speak with him. Stay where you are, do not move."

Rayla rose from her position and walked around the formation, she called on her magic in her veins to wrap around her in an almost cooling blanket to fight against the heat of the magic here. While it wasn't fair to say that Sunfire elves were her opposite, they were certainly very close. Though the true opposite of Sunfire elves would have been the Tidebound elves.

That didn't matter now, she needed to focus on the task at hand and get them across into the border and straight to the king of the dragons. Callum needed to get there as soon as possible so that he could begin his magic training, so that he could gain the approval of the king of dragons. Straightening herself, she walked forward towards the looming Sol Regem, his mouth open and glowing orange, prepared to blow his flames to her.

"Mighty Sol Regem, former King of the Dragons," Rayla called to him in the voice Ethari told her to use with the dragons, "I am Princess Rayla, Queen-In-Waiting of the Moonshadow elves of Lunaris."

The orange glow of his mouth left, he asked her in the same thundering voice, "And why have you come here? Who have you brought?"

Rayla looked to Callum and extended her hand to him, signalling that it was okay for him to come forward to her side. Their eyes locked, she could feel his unease, but determination lined the surface. He whispered something to his brother before letting him go and journeying forward, coming to Rayla's side. Once his hand was in her own, she let her own magic wrap around him and he sent her a grin to show he felt it.

"By my side is Callum, Prince of Katolis and the new holder of the Dragon's Mark. With me is Dragon Prince Callum, my betrothed," Rayla said, her voice powerful and purposeful. "We must go to Xadia to speak with their majesties King of Dragons Avizandum, Queen Zubeia and Prince Azmondias."

If not for her squeezing Callum's hand and the bond they shared, he never would have known that she was afraid in this moment of how the dragon king, former king, would react to this. Her words seemed to hang in the air, heavy and unmoving as Sol Regem had his head tilted down to them. Not looking at them, but acknowledging.

"Dragon Prince Callum," Sol Regem said, Callum shivered as he went on, "Why is your magic unstable?"

Rayla felt Callum's panic grow as he turned to look at her. He had no idea what to respond to that, he didn't even know his magic was unstable. There was some panic flooding through him as this dragon spoke real words, something he didn't expect, was asking him a question he didn't know the answer to and he knew this voice. Tugging at their mental bond, she sent him the answer he was looking for that he didn't realize he already had.

Callum took a steadying breath and squeezed Rayla's hand as he spoke, "Mighty Sol Regem, my magic is unstable due it having only been awaken in the recent days. I have not had years to adjust to it and it's presence is expanding rapidly."

Sol Regem seemed to hum over those words, "The humans cried in sorrow and rage when the magic of Xadia was cut off from them, yet when one of their own possesses such magic, they hide it, _suppress_ it even. Your people disgust me."

Callum knew it was better not to say anything to that, Rayla nodded to affirm he was right to remain silent and the glare she sent to Soren told him to remain quiet as well.

"Will you defend this wretched human, Queen-in-Waiting," Sol Regem asked her.

"Yes, some humans are evil, but not Callum," Rayla said without a shred of hesitance or doubt, "He's noble and true. He has seen past human hatred, done what it right at every turn. Willing to sacrifice for the good of elves and humans. He is smart, kind, brace and… and he's important to me. Not because he is my betrothed, but because he is my friend. A real and true friend."

Rayla looked at Callum then, her words ringing his ears. Through the bond he could feel her sincerity, how much she meant those words in the way he meant when he thought she was ethereal. There was something else there, something he couldn't quite place, but it felt, it felt right and real. Something he could hold onto and believe in. His hand tightened around her own once again.

Rayla looked to the dragon once more as she said, "Please Sol Regem, allow him passage through Xadia. We must do this, together."

"The magic thrums around you both. I will allow you safe passage into Xadia," Sol Regem declared a moment later, "But not the filthy humans who cower in the back."

And Soren protested, "I'll have you know that I bathe everyday, I am not filthy."

"Shut up," Claudia hissed at him.

Ezran rushed over to Callum's side, Soren and Claudia remaining a little further back with vigilant gazes. Splitting up on this run made sense, but to split now and not even halfway through the journey was not an option. The crown prince of Katolis gripped his brother's arm, he would not let him go alone and would beg the dragon if he had to. However as Ezran thought it over for a moment more, he lifted his gaze to his brother and loosened his hold. It was important that Callum get to the Royal Dragon family so that he could begin his training. He knew Callum struggled to find his place, to feel comfortable back home, but so far with Rayla, Callum seemed better. Ezran didn't want to take that from him. As much as he didn't want to say goodbye, he could feel that he had to.

"Sol Regem," Rayla started, ready to plead their case.

"It's okay Rayla," Ezran told her, "Soren, Claudia and I will go back. It's more important that you get Callum to the dragons."

Surprise colored Callum's features, "What? No, Ez, we go together. You don't need to go back home. I'm sure we can come to some kind of agreement here."

"Home is not an option,. The options you have are you all will perish or only the three other humans you have brought," Sol Regem boomed to them, sounding too pleased with the idea.

Callum spoke, "Please Mighty Sol Regem! If you cannot allow them passage, you must allow them to turn around."

"I must do nothing! The smell of death lingers around here, it is from one your people. You humans are nothing more than thieves, stealing the innocent life of creatures for selfish gain. They will die," Sol Regem told him, his words loud and sharp.

Soren drew his sword in defense and Claudia held one of the primal stones in her hand, readying herself for a fight. The dragon's mouth began to glow orange, but as Callum stared up at the dragon king, time around him seemed to slow down. His hearing faded out slightly so that he could not hear Rayla speaking at his side, he could not hear Soren's yell, he could not hear any words from those around him as anything more than muffled noise. The beat of his heart became more pronounced in his ears, though it remained steady and did not pick up speed in fear. Callum shut his eyes and when he opened them, they glowed golden.

_The Dragon Royals of the past exist in you now. _

When Rayla felt her connection to Callum flicker between weak and strong, she knew something must not be right. He did not react to any of her words, even as she shouted at him they needed to move, as she pulled Ezran behind her and tried to do the same to him, but he would not budge. Fire rushed towards them, all Rayla could think to do was shove Ezran away behind the nearest rock formation that would protect him and try to shield Callum. But there wasn't enough time.

Yet, the heat of the flames never came.

Just behind Callum she stood there, to see him standing tall and unmoving in front of her, one hand hand outstretched to the flames. Said orange flames were moving around them in a sphere, dying out as soon as they passed Callum's shoulders. When the flames ceased, Callum clenched his outstretched hand into a fist and as he did so, the sound of break earth reached their ears. Rayla watched as he brought his fist to his shoulder, then sharply brought it down across his body to his hip. Just after the action, a large pillar of rock fell down, onto the dragon who blew his strong fire at it, but it was not enough. He moved out of it's path.

"You dare challenge me," Sol Regm shouted in complete outrage, his mouth glowing.

Callum tilted his head up, he spoke in a voice that Rayla didn't recognize, "You have attacked the ones most precious to the Dragon Prince. Stand aside and let them journey home. Or…"

Rayla saw Callum's glowing eyes flicker from gold to a pure white. Along with that, she noticed that his back was beginning to glow bright enough to seep through his shirt and jacket. The mark. It glowed brightly, then she watched as it burned through his clothes and she was able to see the now white glowing mark on his back. As this happened, storm clouds gathered overhead in seconds, thunder and lightning going across the sky. The wind swirled around them, the heat of the air growing despite the chill making Rayla shiver in her place.

This time, it was Callum's voice alone who spoke. "Or face the wrath of the Dragon Prince."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Happy Wednesday.**

**Summary: The Elf nations of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms have never known peace. However with the war coming to an end, a new era has begun where elves and humans will no longer be enemies. Through Prince Callum of Katolis and Princess Rayla of Lunaris, the fate of the future between humans and elves now rests upon their shoulders. Their lives bound to each other for peace.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Recovery**

"It's okay, you're going to be okay."

_Angry flames swarmed around him, the heat of the fire should have been enough to burn his skin, to singe the air. With a breath, he released a cooling breeze, putting the flames. A roar of anger shook the earth beneath his feet, but the Dragon Royal did not give way, his own stance sturdy and unmoving. There was a pulse of something in the air, something both light and dark._

"Come on Callum."

_The wind surged around him, a tornado beginning to form just overhead as the dragon took to the skies, ready to unleash his full strength of fire. The Dragon Royal was not afraid, with the wave of his hand, rain poured down, the wind whipped, lightning cracked across the sky. That pulse came back stronger than before, only this time it was given a name or a label. It was magic, the Dragon Royal's magic that pulsed through the air, electric._

"Please, Callum wake up!"

_Sol Regem fell to the ground, the impact sent a burst of wind effectively knocking all of the people over, save for the Dragon Royal, still unmoving in his place. A dark look on his face, the golden glow of his eyes turning to a sinister shade of black. The magic in the air turned frigid._

"He won't respond."

_The hot and cold pull of magic attacked each other, the occupants watching could shivered as sweat coated their skins from the feeling. An angry voice of a dozen or so lives merged into one, speaking in a language known of them recognized. _

"Give him to me-"

"Don't you dare touch him!"

_The Dragon Royal lifted his hand, more lightning cracked across the dark clouds, thunder shaking the sky. Everything was in position, until a hand grasped his own as the storm came down._

"Callum, please…"

"_Please," whispered a voice to him, the own of the hand on his own._

_The might of the storm came down onto the Dragon Royal, absorbing it's power to avoid hurting another. A pained cry filled the air as the storm clouds left, the wind stilled._

* * *

"We should stop," Soren said sharply, eyes narrowed at the elf princess.

Rayla shook her head, her eyes burning with the tears she would not shed now or later, "We are almost there. Once, once we reach the edge, we can rest."

The sun had since gone down, but the group of humans and elf had yet to stop their trek after the encounter in the canyon. It had been hours since Callum had entered such a state, hours since he collapsed from absorbing the full power of the storm above instead of releasing it. A power that was meant to kill the dragon, a power that Rayla had asked him not to use. With a small huff she readjusted her grip on Callum, who's limp body she was carrying on her back and who she had not put down since it happened.

The prolonged time of carrying him with the hours of walking should have exhausted her further, but she was used to constant movement and training for long periods of time, not to mention the excess magic she was absorbing from Callum was making it easier for her. All that magic overwhelmed his body, the positive and negative energy sparking a war within him, too much for him to handle in one go. Through the bond they had, she could pull some of that magic into her own body, taking some of that burden from him.

"Rayla," Claudia said, putting her hand on the elf's shoulder, "We've been marching on for hours. Sol Regem is not coming and Callum hasn't stirred. We need to stop, to regroup. If we stop, we can get some of our strength back and make a plan, talk about what's happened here."

Rayla's grip tightened on Callum. There was nothing more for them to discuss, there was no need for discussion, what mattered was getting Callum tot he King of the Dragons. The queen-in-waiting was more than ready to argue against the dark mage, the words were at the tip of her tongue and fueled by misdirected anger. Yet, it was the soft breath from Callum that caused her to shut her mouth no sooner had she opened it. A weak nudge at their bond, settling her rising anger and giving her a moment to settle down.

Without saying a word, she nodded to Claudia to show her agreement, but did not move to put Callum down and Claudia did not push her to. Soren and Claudia set up camp, Ezran moved to Rayla's side, worry in his eyes. SInce the incident earlier, the usually talkative young prince had been silent, his concern for his brother overriding that happy and optimistic energy in him. Though the ten year old still spoke positively, confident that Callum would be just fine after he slept for awhile longer. Yet that worry was still present, of course it would still be there.

No words were exchanged, but Rayla understood the message. Slowly she bent down and shifted Callum around so that she could lay him down gently on the ground. His fair skin was paler than normal, sickly almost that had everyone concerned. Not to mention the fact that his breathing was so shallow and soft that it was hard to tell he was breathing at all. His eyes did not stir behind his eyelids, he was just limp and little more than a corpse.

Claudia suggested that they should go back, get to the nearest kingdom and find a doctor, but it was Rayla who said no. This was a magic ailment, there was nothing human or efl medicine could do for him. Then they were walking, she was carrying Callum and would not let him go, they had to keep going. Once Callum was on the ground, Ezran took a seat beside his brother and Bait climbed onto his stomach, glowing blue to show his sorrow and worry. Everyone was worried about Callum and with good reason.

What she felt from him… while he was in that state was unlike anything she had ever felt and it was only secondhand for her. Powerful, stronger than anything or anyone. There was brilliant light that warmed her skin, but the horrible dark that chilled her bones. The battle with Sol Regem had not lasted long, Callum had taken him down in a few moves. Yet that didn't seem to be enough. Golden eyes had shifted to black, similar to that of what a dark mages eyes looked like when they went too far. Everyone had darkness in them, but magic often amplified it if they did stay in control of their emotions. Callum hadn't been and he would have ended the red beast if not for her.

"_Please," Rayla said to him, knowing what he was about to do._

_Dark black eyes looked into her own, but she was not afraid of him, only afraid of what would happen to him should he follow through. Her grip tightened around his hand, lightning cracked across the sky and she felt the magic thrum in the air. Then she was on the ground, several feet away from Callum who took the full might of the storm, a killing blow meant to take out a dragon. Rayla screamed his name, her voice the only sound as the world around them stilled and he fell to the ground._

It was her fault. If she had let him continue, Callum would have been alright. Yes, the former dragon king would have died and that would have caused trouble for them later, but at least her friend would have been okay. Now he was hurt, unresponsive, on her back.

"I'm sorry," Rayla whispered to him, though the sound of her voice hardly reached her own ears.

Without another word, she turned away from the brothers and walked a little away from camp to clear her head. What she had seen earlier, it was nothing short of… of well she would have said a miracle in the wonders and disbelief of it all, but miracle meant something wonderful happened. That hadn't been wonderful, it had worried her.

A heavy sigh left her as she took a seat on the grassy floor, her legs practically sighing in relief with her and it was only then she was aware of the soreness of her legs and arms. It didn't matter though, she'd carrying him for as long as he needed. Hopefully he would wake up soon and be alright. Discovering Callum was the Dragon Prince had brought all kinds of issues, but it had been the right thing to do, Rayla was certain of that. Yet, she could not ignore the guilt inside her that this was her fault. Had she not unlocked his dragon connection, none of this would have happened.

Children's laughter filled her ears causing her to snap her head up in fright. All she could see around her were dark wood trees, some fireflies hovering around, but that was all. She was alone. Part of her would have said the laughter belonged to Soren, Claudia and Ezran, but this laughter was not at all like theirs which meant she was not alone here. In one move she was on her feet and her dual swords were in her hands, ready to attack anyone who came near.

The laughter came again, not frightening, but gentle and sweet. It could have been a trick of her mind, but when she focused on it, she felt the hum of magic around her, assuring her that there was no danger here. A frown formed on her face. Hesitantly, she sheathed her blades and continued to survey the area. It was then she saw the source of the laughter. Before her two transparent young children about the ages of five were running around, one elf and the other a human from what she could tell.

Rayla took an uneasy breath, "What, what is this?"

The children chased each other around some more, both smiling wide and laughing as if there was no tomorrow. There was something familiar about the children, but she couldn't quite place it. Not until she watched as the elf child, a little girl, fell to the ground with a pained gasp. The human child, a little boy, rushed to her side. She recognized these children from somewhere, but she had no guess as to where. It wasn't as if she made a habit of knowing kids, though she did teach a class back home for kids. Only they were all elves.

"Ray, are you alright," asked the little boy, worried.

_Ray._

Rayla frowned at that, she'd only ever been called 'Ray' by one person. It was uncommon for Moonshadow elves to go by any other name than their own, shortening their names was rare and nicknames even more so. But, she vaguely remembered a little boy calling her that before. And she… she called him Cal. Was this her and Callum? It couldn't have been, they never met as children. The closest that come to had been one of the earlier rituals to seal their binds. Yet, as Rayla stared at the apparition before her, she could feel it was true, that it happened sometime in the past between her and Callum. A forgotten memory.

"I'm fine," the little girl, Ray, said with a wince and looked to bloody knee, "Hurt my knee."

Rayla watched as the little boy, who she was now certain was Callum, put his hand on Ray, her younger self's, knee… only for his hand to go right through her. A deep frown formed on his face, he tried again to touch her with a look of concentration, but each time his hand slipped right through. Ray shook her head, looking devastated.

Sadly, she told him, "We're not really here. You can't help me."

Little Callum pouted, "But you did once before. I can to, just you watch."

Little Rayla had protested to him that it was different, something to do with magic that the current Rayla couldn't pick on. However this kid version of Callum refused to give up and kept trying until several tries later, his hand rested on her knee. A brilliant look of triumph on his face as he grinned at her, his green eyes shining with joy that he had done it.

Rayla got on one knee to be more level with this memory in front of her, though part of her suspected maybe she had fallen asleep or passed out or was just plane imagining things. Regardless, she was intrigued by this sight. Silently, she watched as little Callum lifted his hand off of little Rayla's knee to reveal the wound was gone. He healed her knee, but that wasn't possible. He didn't have any access to magic at that time, so how could he have possibly healed her injury then? Rayla wanted the memory to continue, but the past versions of herself and Callum vanished, leaving her alone in the forest once again.

"What was that about," Rayla whispered to herself as she rose to stand on her feet.

Closing her eyes, she felt at the bond between her Callum, wondering if maybe that was what he was dreaming about, but there was nothing from him. He was still too deep in his trance or coma. Earlier she had tried to wake him up by going into their bond, trying to get in his head, but it had been too dark and empty for her to navigate through and she was forced out. Disappointed, she pulled away from the bond and focused her gaze back on the spot where the younger versions of herself and Callum had once been, wondering what could have been the point of that.

If there was one thing Rayla had learned since meeting Callum, it had been that any visions they had were meant to reveal something. What could this had been meant to reveal to her? All she saw was the two of them playing together, which didn't make sense because they had never met as children, yet that was a memory. It felt like a memory. Then there was the matter that Callum hadn't been able to touch her then, giving off the idea that mabe neither of them was quite there with each other either.

Rayla scrunched her brow, trying to wrap her mind around what happened when she realized something. The arrangement between her and Callum had come in when they were around the ages of six or eight, but the image of the two of them there had been they were younger. So they had met before they were even betrothed, but the question was how? How could that have been possible? Had magic connected them somehow despite the binds not being in place? Did this mean that the two of them were chosen because they already had a connection?

"Dream walking actually," said the voice of Callum behind her. "Apparently it was something we did often as kids, then the binds came and we both lost the memory of it."

Rayla spun around, to face him, ready to pounce on him whether for a hug or to attack was beyond her, not that mattered. Her relief that he was alright and the anger at him for being hurt in the first place were waging a war inside her. When she saw him, her eyes widened to see his was transparent in the way their younger selves had been. Despite the transparency of him, he looked better than he did last she saw him minutes ago.

"Callum, what is this, are you alright," Rayla asked uncertainly, her eyes widened, "Don't tell me yer a ghost now."

Callum gave her an easy smile, "Not a ghost, I don't think anyway. Consciousness maybe, but not a ghost, unless you count those as the same thing. Some people do and I understand why since-"

"Spare me the lesson," Rayla interrupted, her gaze pleading and filled with concern.

Callum gave her a nod, "Right, sorry. Are you okay? I've been kind of it for awhile."

That sparked anger in Rayla, "I'll say. You absorbed the full might of a storm, all that magic is enough to kill dozens of humans! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," was the answer he gave.

Though Rayla was more than ready to agree, she paused her words when she felt the sorrow and fear in Callum slipping through the bond. He wasn't trying too, but he was weakened from the fight and from whatever this was, which allowed her some easier access to the bond. That was something she was certainly grateful for considering for the past few hours, she had hardly been able to feel it.

At first she thought the bond was something she would have had to actively avoid, yet she found she didn't want to avoid it with Callum. She found herself almost constantly checking on it, tugging, nudging, sensing it with her mind because it, it made her feel better? Though better about what, she had no idea what. Perhaps it was the feeling of the connection in general that she enjoyed. Regardless of that, she focused back on Callum's words and the emotions he was feeling and clearly showing on his face.

"When, whent he Dragon Royals took control, I felt so lost," Callum admitted, "Powerful and strong, but unable to see clearly, to find my way or think straight. I almost killed Sol Regem. I'm sorry."

Rayla swallowed, "It wasn't your fault. The magic, it overwhelmed you."

Callum's eyes met her own, "Maybe, but I could still aim or think of a goal and I wanted him gone. I wanted him out of the way."

"All of us did, yer not special," Rayla said, hoping he would smile. He didn't. "It's over now, you just need to get better."

Callum looked away from her, out in the direction of camp, "Yeah. With any luck by morning I'll be back to normal."

"Do you, do you know what that all was back there," Rayla asked him, wondering if he understood more than she did.

"No," Callum said, but Rayla felt it was a lie, "I don't."

Rayla brought her gaze to the ground, wondering if she should call him out on his lie or let it go considering it had been such a trying day for everyone. It took a moment, but she opened her mouth to call him out on his lie, the words spilling off her tongue.

"I can tell yer lying, so why don't you try this again and tell me the truth. I can't help you if you don't tell me anythin' and we have to work together. Didn't we agree to work through this together, to share the burden," Rayla said to him, some heat to her words.

Callum took an uneasy breath of his own, "It's not your burden to carry."

Rayla crossed her arms over her chest, "Doesn't mean I don't want to help you carry it. Tell me."

Callum gave her a long look, visibly torn on what he should do about this. Lightly, she probed at the link between them and found there was some restlessness in him over the topic. That made her worries grow in her stomach. What did he learn that would have him so concerned? However before she could ask him the question again, he vanished from her sight. Whether he did it on purpose or their time ran out, she didn't know and shouldn't have cared, but she did. His voice whispered in her mind.

"_Dream walk and I can show you."_


End file.
